A Game's Tale
by Faylen7
Summary: Link was an ordinary boy always searching for something special in his life... and one day he will find more than he could ever accept... his fate will lead him back to ancient times... to an old world where his soul was born... thanks to supahaf
1. Chapter 1

**A Game's Tale**

Well, what is there to say... This Story reaches 700,000 words at the moment, was actually written in german, and now some nice guy did me the favor to translate it into english.

I'm deeply sorry if there are some mistakes with language and grammar, my only wish is that there are people who are interested in some other type of long (and maybe fascinating) zelda- story.

I don't know if I ever will come to an end with this fan-Story, I love this story very much and would be pleased if someone would read. It describes feelings of most of the lovely game-characters Zelda und Link, and shows some other kind of perspective of "The Legend of Zelda".

Thank you very much.

* * *

She knelt down and stroked through soft grass, which uniquely grew on Hyrule Field. It swayed softly in the wind.

Just like it always did, she thought, knowing, that even the wind would stop to breeze very soon. Here, in old Hyrule, in a familiar past, with no future.

She touched the cold, dusty earth, which slowly, almost unnoticeably, ceased to live.

It has begun.

She folded her arms, gently touching the velvet of her pinkish gloves. A little chilly…

There always seemed to be a cool breeze on Hyrule Field, even when the sun stood high in the sky, caressing the lands with its hot, fire red rays. She slowly closed her eyes, lonely tears shimmering in them. The wind stroked her blonde hair, which always looked well-kempt. Some of her golden strands of hair playfully flew around her face. She slowly removed her swell gloves, tossed them on the ground like something useless, grabbed the fancy barrettes and furiously tore them out of her hair. Finally she threw away the ornamented tiara. No neat appearance any more – there was no use for that now.

Her fists clenched, she stood upright, loosing her thoughts in nostalgia while looking at the valley before her. The path which had served as road for merchants, who would barter for their goods on the marketplace in front of the castle – it now lay there, empty, like a dried out vein between the hills. She looked eastwards, where vast woods with giant trees dominated the landscape, westwards, at the nearing desert with its merciless sandstorms. She wanted to memorize as much of the whole picture as possible, for it would be the last time she could marvel it. Far away she could see the proud and mighty Death Mountains, enshrouded in smoky thunderclouds.

None of all that would exist in very few hours…

Like entranced she spread her arms, imagined, how it must be to fly, to turn into a mighty eagle, floating over the world. Its eye seeing everything, its call for freedom heard by everyone. She wished she could be one of these majestic animals only once.

She also wished she had had the strength to protect this world of hers, which she loved above all. Why, just why did the last hour have to come, the last minutes of Hyrule?

Her eyes, blue and clear, looked at the sky, saw the dark shreds of clouds, saw the sun sinking behind the horizon. Old pictures of a red, bleeding sky pierced her mind, hurting her incredibly. Absentmindedly she whispered: "It always was his fault… and now he ultimately got his will, satisfied his desires. His longing for possession of all Hyrule, his greed for power… and I could only watch powerlessly."

Hate dominated her feelings. Anger boiled in her royal veins, all the way up to her porcelain-colored hands. The ancient power she never asked for, parted from her and rose towards the vast sky.

"Look, you gods. Is this all? I should be burdened with a part of the power, and I still carry it – even now, when Hyrule slowly fades. Is this fair? Tell me!"

She screamed in desperation: "It simply isn't fair!"

She had always been thinking of nothing but Hyrules well-being. When outside the sun shone brightly, she studied old books or practiced magic, and at night she would neither sleep nor wake but cower away from the darkness. She did everything in her power for Hyrule and for it alone. She cast her feelings aside, suppressed her fears, all for this world. But now she was forced to run away like a damned coward, something she never wanted to be.

The Triforce-Fragment sank back and entered the back of her hand like a glowing piece of metal, with no pain, but no feeling of comfort either.

Then she heard someone wandering silently through the high grass. As much as he tried, she noticed the sound of his maroon boots, when he stepped closer. She looked aside, about to open her mouth, but found she wasn't able to say anything any more. The feelings of emptiness, of doubt and powerlessness stunned her and sealed her voice away. The being behind her gently placed his hands on her shoulders.

With a soft voice he said: "Zelda. It is time." Rarely had she heard him speak with such sentimentality. The sound of his soothing, sensitive voice comforted her a little. The rage left her slowly, but the pain in her soul refused to go away. She felt completely at her sad feelings' mercy – she had to accept them. Even though he could keep any evil or harm away from her, stopping these sentiments was beyond his power. She slowly turned and looked directly into the deep dark blue of his eyes. These eyes have always given her more than only comfort, courage and the feeling of being needed. His look had always made her find hope. But today, here and now, in this moment…

He gently pulled her into a loving embrace. He had never ever hugged someone like this before. Only now did Zelda realize that he also was torn inside. He did not want to part with this world just as much as she did. He would have given everything for Hyrule. She knew it and never should have doubted it.

"Link", she said cautiously and almost without sound. He didn't answer, but started caressing her back with his hand.

Zelda started to cry, but didn't want him to notice it. She felt silly for trying to hide her tears from Link, she knew perfectly well that she couldn't conceal anything from him. But still…

She wanted to be strong enough for them both. Just for once.

But Zelda cried for another reason, which even Link didn't know about yet. They both stood in their embrace for a long time, until the sun finally vanished behind the horizon. With a last glow, a last flicker of its fire-red rays it was gone.

Link took Zelda's lovely face into his warm hands and mumbled: "Someday…". He stopped when he discovered something in her eyes, that told him about another farewell. He felt powerless when his princess cast him these special looks. He anticipated what she wanted to do.

She broke the embrace, looking at the ground. She couldn't help but bursting into tears. "Please forgive me, but I have no choice. I cannot live with the hylian lands, nor without them." Zelda really intended to stay, to perish together with Hyrule.

"And I cannot live without you…" Link whispered, confessing his feelings for the girl opposite to him for the very first time.

Zelda looked at him for one last time, tried to smile a little and turned around, walked towards the valley, slowly at first, every step a little faster until she ran. Link remained standing numbly, silently. He extended his arm towards her for one last time, trying to suppress the feelings of sorrow in his heart. He felt as if everything dear and important to him was suddenly lost. Everything he fought for has waned. He felt his heart cramp, as if it wanted to burst into a thousand bloody splinters.

Zelda was merely a tiny dot on the vast plain now. She seemed more unreachable and far away than ever before, more than in the alternate timeline, which was forgotten, where no hero existed.

"Zelda…" Link sank down on his knees, trying to keep his head clear. It must not end like this, not here. No! He had never given up and he never would. Even now, when all magic had left Hyrule and all power had disappeared from this world. Even when destiny itself stood against him and Hyrule would cease to exist, he would still be Link.

He told himself when he got up: "Hope dies last. We will see each other again, Zelda. I will fight, and the last spark of hope will be my companion."

Pulsating blue light embraced him and his soul was carried to a place far away. Deep into the maelstrom of oblivion, where his memories were sealed away. Into another world, existing somewhere far away from Hyrule, somewhere between nowhere and truth.

Every being of this dying world, every Kokiri, Goron, Zora, Hylian, Gerudo and Shiekah-survivors left its body behind to let its soul travel into a new world. The forces of evil however were forever trapped in a place, existing nowhere but still being there. Imprisoned in a world where no sun would rise, no moon or stars would shine from the night sky. Hyrule was now ultimately enslaved by the void.

But the spirits of those beings, who once lived here, and loved their home, would one day be reborn into a world without magic, a future without evil that needs to be feared. Only in their dreams will they remember their old home, not knowing, that they were more than mere pictures of the night. Then, when they would wander through the plains, running over the lush grass of the dream-created lands, they would feel the long forgotten world, full of fantasy and belief, a world that would always be loved on first sight.


	2. Chapter 2

Here it is, the first chapter of more than 100 ones. Again I like to thank supahaf for this wonderful translation.^^

And then I want to say thank you for those 2 reviews. It's a beautiful motivation to go on writing.

* * *

It was more…

A thought of secrets, hidden and kept safe inside the bearer of a righteous heart. One story. One destiny. And one truth.

A story, fed by human desires. Born for many minds, which long for the magic of another world. Minds which believed in a more purposeful life. A fairytale of course, but yet a unique one, precious to those who wouldn't only see with their eyes, but have gotten used to life on earth. Alive… only with an untrue face. Forgotten maybe… written down more than once. The story tells about many ending dreams, cruel wars, about lovers, who never were together.

Many incidents were woven into that fate, which many innocents sold their souls to. The only fate, which two beings, not always good, not always pure or hopeful, had accepted as their anchor on the sea of time. A fate which they laid their trust in. A trust that was disappointed by the gods and the knowing, for nothing is accomplished by the vicious circle that infested the world. Nothing but dead desires, disappointments and bitterness. There always was one more battle to be fought in this never ending circle and the wounded, dead and those with broken hearts would never get what such a treacherous fate promised. Rotten ideals for something that didn't deserve to be called destiny.

It was a truth for that two connected souls gave up their wishes and yearnings. Souls that shattered because of the laws of their world.

This story always was so much more, too much to understand. This battle for something, which is the only truth in many eyes: power.

And yet it was only a thought of one youth, lying on a juicy green meadow, nibbling on a blade of grass, watching the heartless passing-by of white wisps of cloud. A thought of something he missed, longed for and that, so he guessed, would never come true.

Melancholy and gloom lay hidden in deep-blue eyes of a young man, who wished he could stop time, freeze everything, for one moment tread on the edge of reality. It was a wish of a somewhat exceptional teenager who would never find what he desired in this modern, "perfect" world.

His left arm rose, trying pointlessly to trace the shape of the clouds, to form it, understand it. The limitless sky with its wonderful blue color and its thousand faces… What did fate try to conceal, if it granted the horizon all these faces? Was it treason? Hate maybe? Or the inevitable? Thoughts about the key to this world and a memory which deceived him plagued his mind.

Silent doubts on his handsome face faded silently, when the young man jumped to his feet and plodded towards his families house.

'_If you can no longer trust your destiny… call me!' _it sounded in his thoughts as he handled the locking bar of the gate to the backyard.

'If the incredible shows itself and you question your senses… call me… Call me!' it escaped his mind, as he inconspicuously entered his home, located in a town called Destinyskeep, built in the path of Memories.

He entered his room. It was furnished tastefully, yet it was unreal and alien to him. Objects of the new times, all of them would be unimportant, if the world of men showed another face. But still, they were surprisingly real and familiar. The controller for a game, simply an unimportant game, in his hands, the teenager sat down in front of his TV. He felt strangely left alone, a dull memory with no reason.

A game. "The Legend of Zelda"… only a game…

"Link?" Meira Bravery, the mother of the young man stood in the doorway, leaning against the wall with her stern face put on.

"Yep, what's up?", he mumbled without letting his mind get distracted from the game in front of him.

"Would you grant me, in all your kindness, permission to ask my seventeen year old son, what he thinks he is doing?" Cheeky and rebellious as he was, he calmly shook his head. Much to his mother's annoyance.

"Link!" she hissed angrily. "Do you see any point in your life other than this damned game?"

"No", he answered in a bored way. She waggled her index finger at him, flaring up. She moved in front of him, blocking his view at his beloved game.

"And it's not a mere game… it's simply everything!" he added.

"Since days, no, I correct myself, since weeks and months you sit in front of it and forget, that there is a real world as well, which your body happens to exist in."

"Well?"

She rolled her eyes and growled:" Maybe the young lord with his ponytail - I still think you should cut your hair, by the way – should consider to study for his exam tomorrow, if he finds it worth his precious time."

"I don't think so."

"And your appointment with the careers officer? I hope you _found time_ for that."

"Nope!"

The look on her face matched her foaming mood and her blushed skin. "Why don't you take your prudent sister as an example? She is busy AND has enough time for herself. But no, all you do is sit here, play and watch your life pass by!" she yelled, her voice rising with every word.

Link jumped to his feet and fled from his upset mother. He hid playfully behind his chestnut brown couch, glanced cautiously into her grim eyes and presented the most innocent smile he could muster.

His mother still looked stern. "By the way…"

"Yeah?"

"Do you have an idea how you want to continue your boring life after school?"

"Should I? And apart from that, my life isn't so dull boring."

Hearing that, she frowned even more. Link feared, she was about to explode in a fury. He could see her whole body tense, her eyes wide and her carotid arteries pulsate. It was a little unfair, but her fits of rage fascinated and amused him. He could keep his cool with ease. He lost his composure very rarely.

"Now listen, and listen carefully. You will soon be eighteen years old, but you're acting like a stupid little brat. I'm sick of organizing all those appointments, just so you can loaf around and don't care. Can't you take that serious?!?"

"I forgot about it, alright?"

"You always say that."

"Yeah, because you never get it." he provoked.

"_Whaaaat_???" Her voice turned into a long furious roar. He had her exactly where he wanted her. She could never answer to such impertinence. Shaking her reddened head she left the room, growling unintelligible words while stomping down the stairs. She always had to bear her son's cool acting, which always managed to get her foaming. She never could be mad at him for long however. He's always been like this, she thought. A little rebellious, adventurous and looking for new experiences. A part of her knew, but she never actually thought, that her oldest was something special.

Link sat back down in front of his TV grabbed the black controller and resumed playing. This amazing game overwhelmed him. He loved all the melodies, the adventures and also, in a way, the deep darkness of the unique dungeons. As stupid as it sounds, it felt, as if all these things were once reality, as if he had actually fought evil once. It was strange though… Link always knew unconsciously what would happen next. He knew about leaving the great forest, the surreal meeting with princess Zelda, even the final fight with Ganondorf was present in his memory, as if he had been there. Familiarity with something so unreal… yearning for something that this world could never provide.

His deep blue eyes wandered around, their gaze filled with indescribable desire for more, for adventures, hope, maybe even love. He watched the sun sink with a comforting, flaming red, making his room look warm and pleasant, while a choir of unreal voices sang in the background. It was a song which, so he felt, was more than a mere magical tune with the power of manipulating time. A choir, sung here in the Temple of Time. A place filled with sadness, Link thought. A place of memories and pain. He was always deeply moved when the heavy melody of the Song of Time surrounded him, when he listened to the choir of many forgotten voices.

It moved his heart, as if something special was linked to the notes, reminding him of trust, hope and fate.

Melancholically and in sorrow he stepped in front of the bright window, feeling the transition of dying day to concealing night. There it was again! A memory of someone he didn't know, a memory that couldn't be true. But sometimes, when the youth looked towards the evening sky, no matter of what color, he would feel a soft hand on his shoulder, that would vanish into thin air the moment he turned around. Sometimes he felt something in his room, as if he was no longer alone, the presence of a pleasant soul…

He shook his head, running his fingers through his blonde hair, trying to ignore these paranoid ideas. He tried to call himself back to the path of reason to fortify his self-confidence and –esteem.

His mother came back and entered. "Link, don't you want to come and have your dinner? It's late."

"No, I don't want to." He uttered, again not letting the TV screen out of his sight.

"Link…" she sighed. Someone may understand these youngsters, I certainly don't, she mumbled. But Link turned weirder by the day. He had always been different. He didn't have the urge to go out every weekend like the others, or listen to loud music or some such. He often made decisions that made no sense to others. There were generally very few people who understood him. He maybe was what many would call a reckless optimist, even though he carried quite a lot of problems on his back.

However, it was just this attitude and his love for nature and its beauties – for example, he loved wandering around in the forest by himself – that made him very interesting for the girls in his school. Of course, his appealing looks helped quite a bit. Slim, but strong body, deep, blue eyes of fascinating purity, blonde hair and a striking face.

On the other hand, he played, wandered through the Hyrule Field. But he always had a much more absorbing picture of nature and freedom hidden in his thoughts, which could never exist on earth. A magnificent picture of terrible beauty: vast plains, rivers and streams, meandering through the lands, huge mountains…

It was almost midnight and he had to yawn deeply. He decided to end the game for today and said: "Good night, Link.", not meaning himself but the character that traveled through Hyrule, waking Sages to save the country. It really was funny and somewhat weird, that the hero of this tale had his name. Well, it _could_ be a coincidence. A very stupid coincidence. He remembered precisely his flabbergasted face, when a friend had told him about this game and the name of one of the main characters.

The Legend of Zelda…

A title that sounded like loneliness and a grim fate in his ears.

When his sister and he were rummaging in a game store some months ago, he felt overcome by longing for one game. It was subtitled 'The Windwaker'. The silly woman behind the counter, after looking into his eyes, wanted him to take another version of the game, a bonus-disc included. She said he would _need_ it. Her looks were very strange to him; he didn't know whether she was real. And that was not the only extraordinary occurrence he had in his young life.

On another day when he visited said store again, the odd woman was gone and there was no evidence, she had ever existed.

But why be bothered by that now? It didn't matter! The game was his anyway.

But in all that time that had passed by since then, he had played 'Ocarina of Time' again and again, almost as if he was possessed. He had of course faced the adventures on sea more than once, but he found it not nearly as captivating as 'Ocarina of Time'. Could be the graphics, or his own lack of patience for sailing endlessly over the sea.

Mother antics the third: "Link, go to bed, now! You've got lessons tomorrow."

"Yes, I know, mum."

"Well then, bedtime, if you please."

"I'm on my way." He cast a bored glance at her, which at the same time was filled with thoughtfulness. It made his mother wonder what was troubling her son now.

"Is everything alright?" But he didn't even listen, turned TV and Gamecube off and walked towards the window again. He was positive that something was waiting out there as he looked at the gloomy mist. He had to find out, what it was, as soon as possible. He felt, as if it was something important he had forgotten. Something more important than everything else. Truth and destiny waited out there, woven around the life of an alien being, which had the face of this youth.

Alien, because sometimes seventeen year old Link felt as if he was not part of this world, felt as if he didn't know himself at all. He strove for things that could not be.

Suddenly his mother stood behind him and made another try to get through his defense: "What is it?"

"Noth'n! I'm going to bed now." Casually and a little peeved he shoved his mother out of his room. A quick "good night" was the last thing he threw after her.

He sat down on his far too soft bed – he had often woken up lying spread-eagled on the floor – and sighed. Oh well…

She was right with her constant concerns about him, because to be honest, nothing was really well at all. He often regretted the absence of something, but he could never put his finger on it. And with every second that faded this feeling that troubled his heart grew stronger and it became almost unbearable. More than once he had had the feeling that there was someone he missed, in a way he would miss no-one else. Even if there were no clear memories and even if nobody could prove something like a former life. His heart yearned for someone, but for whom and why... that, assumed Link, would never be answered. A big secret!

A secret he would share with no-one, unless he found said soul…

"Call me… when your heart aches…"

To think of this incomparable aura, he sometimes had the luck to dream about, hurt a little, whispering… calling. Dreams… He dreamed about someone, who had a very special place in his heart.

Link turned with closed eyes on his belly and tried to forget these pipe-dreams. He slowly drifted into the world of dreams. He resisted it. He didn't want to sleep. If there was one thing that really bothered him, it would be his dreams. Some months ago he dreamt about falling down a cliff, which wouldn't be that bad, hadn't strange, orc-like creatures chased him and hadn't he woken up the following day with an aching, bruised body and a concussion. He was positive however, that he had never left his bed.

For Link dreams became a second reality. They weren't so pleasantly transitory as with other people. It was mostly because of his these nightly horrors that he had become what he is now: a strange, young man, who wished he could roam around the world with a sword in his hands, experience adventures and fulfill his destiny. Bullshit… pure bullshit, he said to himself.

_He saw himself in his dream. Link tramped through dark, dirty water, which still shimmered a little red, in a long rock tunnel. There were innumerable, over dimensional spider webs covering the walls. Old, dried-out plants of a kind he had never seen before, winded across earth and stone. In his left hand he firmly held a richly ornamented sword, which shone softly, even in this darkness. A marvelous weapon, he __observed. One that made him feel strong and courageous. In his right hand there was a little oil lamp dangling, its frail light almost useless in the eternal blackness of this dungeon. _

_His steps were growing weaker. What the hell was he doing here? _

_Ah, finally! At the end of the long corridor he located a door, the matching key in his pouch. He cautiously pushed it open and entered a giant dome like room with huge columns. With the fire from his lamp he lit a few torches, which were conveniently fixed in the walls. Astounded, he marveled the gorgeousness that was faintly visible in the little light he could create. On the ceiling there were gigantic frescos of fighting goddesses. One of them was holding some kind of scepter, ready to strike down a one eyed demon that had just shot a glistering ball of energy at her. There were other figures and motives, but Link couldn't investigate those closer. A little boy, clad only in green garments, timidly called his name and pointed towards one of the paintings at the rearward end of the dome. How did this boy get here anyway? He didn't even notice him up until now. But all of a sudden that little guy had vanished. Link got closer to the painting and saw a ruined landscape, its sky turning blood-red. In a painting? A little unnerved he took another look, but there was nothing unusual. It was just a picture with blue sky._

_Link's time of pondering ended suddenly. A gruesome hissing noise behind him signaled imminent danger. Those without courage or willpower would have instantly panicked upon hearing it. Link however remained unperturbed and stood still, listening intently, following the nearing footsteps. He could hear the rattling breath of the creature standing only a few meters away. A clatter. The dull clinking of a grimy sword, encrusted with blood of Link's predecessor. Then, suddenly a fierce battle cry. _

_He realized that it was his own voice that__ rumbled through the giant hall. He rolled sideways lightning-fast and was now assaulting his enemy with his sharp blade. The monster, which Link identified as a skeleton-knight, couldn't react nearly as fast. With one heavy blow the young hero severed the creatures sword-arm. The beast howled pathetically. Its last shreds of rotten skin tensed for the last desperate attack. As it lunged forward, Link could feel the deadly cold of this offspring of hell, smelled the stench of decay. He skillfully jumped at it, kicked himself of, turned in mid air above it, and cut the miserable creature clean in half with a vertical drop-attack. The last remainders of the enemy lay at Links feet…_

Then he suddenly awoke, drenched in sweat. He jerked upright, not knowing where he was at first. Oh man, what a dream, he thought, finding himself sitting on the floor once again. Sleepily he looked at his watch: Almost five? Link murmured something, telling himself he was a moron. He said aloud: "No matter. Five hours of sleep should be enough." With a swift jump he was on his feet. He was a little surprised about the somersault he had just performed in his dream. He found that hardly possible... Don't think about it!

Again he cast his confusing fantasies away, ignored them, and tried to convince himself that many had this kind of dreams.

Link stumbled down the stairs and towards the kitchen. He buttered a slice of white-bread and gulped it down, prepared tea and gulped it down even quicker. He couldn't help but think about the dream again. He felt, he knew the place… when it suddenly occurred to him. A dark dungeon with strange, giant plants, lianas or whatever, that's got to be the Forest Temple. It has to be. But in the dream it felt so real, so true… more than it could ever be in a game. Damn, that was simply too much.

Link plodded to the bathroom and had an ice-cold shower, and brushed his teeth. As he returned to the kitchen perfectly refreshed, his little sister already sat at the table – well, she wasn't that small any more.

"Morning Sara", greeted Link, yawning once more.

"Morning dear brother. You've been up for quite a while already, haven't you?"

"I don't know if I even slept at all, actually:" Sara looked a little perplexed, then laughed: "Link, our ever-dreamer!"

"Ha-ha. Unbelievably funny. Wait, what's funny again? Already forgot."

Sara went up to him, patted his shoulder, smiled and disappeared out of sight in the corridor to get her schoolbag. When Link, upon seeing this, checked his watch, his heart gave a jolt. "Already that late? Dammit!" Quick like the wind he grabbed his bag and ran outside, the annoying dreams banned from his mind for now.

While he was running down the usual way to his school he noticed the sun was shining brightly. It's definitely going to be a beautiful day. With a little unintentional smile on his lips, he looked into the blue sky. Only a few white clouds lazily glided over the town. All that encouraged his intention to spend the afternoon in the woods. The woods... a place that gave him comfort, where he felt safe. A place that woke memories…

But no matter how passionate the young man's love for the silent forest with its old, wise trees, hundreds of creatures and its limitless freedom, was, he still honestly wished he could find the truth. The truth that would tell him why he was here, what his purpose was and with whom he shared his destiny. His affection for a place so quiet and sensual was surpassed somewhat by the feelings for something – or someone? – else.

Suddenly Link felt a faint pressure burying his thoughts, as if something wanted to suffocate them. Like a hand, trying to numb his senses the feeling arrived. His entire body felt strange, stunned, rendered weak. All of a sudden he felt frail and pitiful. Where did this sensation come from? Maybe he just didn't sleep enough, that could explain it. For now, this weak explanation will suffice. But the truth was, there were other causes for his piteous condition. He felt a little depressed altogether for some time. Very often he was in a bad mood, thought about all these stupid, useless things and felt miserable upon the knowledge that nothing will change.

But Link, even if he was always moping around, possessed more inner strength than he would ever have guessed. Something about him made him different, made him exceptional. He would soon learn about these hidden attributes, slumbering in his heart. Courage, bravery, pride, belief in everything good and hope.

He ran along, lost in his thoughts. There it was . The old, huge building, which served as secondary school. He often dreamed about it, although not filled with humans but evil zombies. Not far from the truth anyway…

He could already hear the bell ring when he was just taking the final stairs. With a sigh he stood in front of the door to his classroom and knocked.

"Come in" it barked from the inside. Link opened the door and stepped in.

"Good morning, Link", said the skinny woman behind the teacher's desk.

"Nice of you to be on time for once. Now take a seat if you please."

"Sorry, I was delayed", Link said coolly. He wondered. The headmistress I. Shadoa in person was in the room. Did she fill in for their usual teacher? Rats! He didn't have time to check for the list of substitutes for today. Miss Crookpeck had probably gotten sick again. She taught history, and was missing at least once per month, god knows why; and now the headmistress had to stand in again. Link respected her authority, more than his mother's anyway. Relaxed she had enthroned herself behind the desk, reddish-brown, controlling eyes peered through thin glasses. She could handle the students better than anyone else.

With her deep voice she spoke to the students. "I will not be a substitute for Miss Crookpeck today. I only came here to let you know about a few dates. After that I will let you work on your home-exercises." She then informed them about the nearing exams, some excursions and some such. The whole time she gave the impression of being concerned with something different. Link watched her carefully and got curious. He had never seen the headmistress this absent minded. And frankly, it was absolutely unthinkable that she didn't force any annoying history lesson in the student's heads. Link whispered to his neighbor: "Did I miss something special?"

"No, you didn't. Apparently she behaved all day in this weird way."

"I see…" Now his curiosity was woken completely. Maybe… he could learn something interesting, if he found out what was going on. Of course he would try. This simply was something completely natural to him, wanting to get to the bottom of new or strange things.

Miss Shadoa left the room. Link stood up and nonchalantly walked towards the door. Suddenly someone grabbed his arm. A boy with brown short hair and brown eyes watched him wilily. It was Rick, Links cousin and at the same time his best friend.

"Now, now, what are you trying to do, you 'Nice-of-you-to-be-on-time-rascal'?"

A little grin forced its way to Links face. "You wanna come too?"

Rick nodded. They opened and stepped out into the corridor. Link looked around swiftly, saw that they were alone and ran towards the stairs. He could hear Miss Shadoa's shoes clack from down below.

"Pst" he signaled. If they were caught, there would be trouble. Big time… But luckily the headmistress hadn't heard them and continued on her way down.

Suddenly they heard a door open behind them. After almost suffering a cardiac arrest they quickly hid behind two pillars that flanked the beginning of the stairs. The person who exited the door was Richard Raunald the deputy headmaster and school psychologist. Link had had a discussion with him once, a memory he wasn't particularly fond of. There was thin little quarrel with a fellow student, this joker Mike Callaghan, who had nothing better to do than provoke him. He had called him a wimp. Well, Link was the stronger one. He hadn't really hurt him of course, just made his nose bleed a little. But that was quite some time ago.

That guy was strangely in haste. He almost tripped on the stairs because he took them so fast. Dr. Raunald was at least fifty years old, had gray hair and really pointy ears. The moment he was out of earshot, Link and Rick sneaked down the staircase. However, they had apparently lost both Ms. Shadoa and the hasty old man.

"Come. Let's go back to the classroom, it's pointless." Rick suggested.

"Okay, you go back. But I've got the feeling there's something going on that I have to find out." As if Inez Shadoa could solve those riddles that were plaguing him.

"If you say so." And with that Rick left. Now Link could finally look for her without being disturbed. The sensation of creeping after someone while trying to remain unseen was somewhat exciting. It felt, as if he had done this before.

The young wannabe agent went further down to the bottom floor, into the creepy darkness of the cellar. He was again reminded of the dream that haunted him this night.

Unexpectedly he heard exactly the voices he had hoped to hear.

"But that can't be. I mean, how could he…" Her voice almost gave out. Link had never heard the proud headmistress talk like this. Desperation and fear openly lay in her voice. Link slowly got closer and now stood right behind them.

"Inez, I'm sorry." Raunald uttered, almost as if he could change anything. Link guessed that something bad must have happened, maybe with her family… no, why would she talk to Raunald about it, of all people. Maybe it's about the school?

"So he was able to free himself. I'd like to know what happened to her. Do you think she still exists, do you believe she is still alive?"

"I hope so."

Link had no idea who they were talking about, but it seemed to be of great importance. 'Free himself'? What's that supposed to mean? Did someone break free from prison or what?

After a few seconds of silence Raunald continued: "I saw him wander around in the streets. Bless the goddesses that he didn't recognize me. Else I'd probably not be able to stand here, talking.

"From this day onwards we have to act extremely careful. Richard, you'll excuse me, I of course have to look for her. Maybe she is here as well, who knows what happened. I have got to find her at all cost. She will probably be confused and… she… I am still bound to her."

"Yes, we know. I shall contact the others immediately."

"What are we going to do about Li-" Miss Shadoa jerked heavily as the bell rang. "Already this late. Well, good luck Richard, I pray that everything will turn out alright.

"Okay. See you, I hope."

The headmistress left the gloomy cellar with fast steps. Link was barely able to hide behind an old wooden cupboard. After that Raunaldo too exited the room. Link stayed, confused and a little absentminded. The words he just heard seemed so catchy and important, as if he was a part of these incidents they talked about. But maybe that were just wishes: Being entangled in curious happenings, playing the leading role, escape this all to common life of his.

Suddenly he heard the lock click. Oh my god! What if he'd been trapped? He rushed to the door, rattled forcefully, but he couldn't open it. Great, now he was in trouble once again. What now? Wait a sec. There was another door in this giant room, wasn't it? Wasn't it??? The little bit of light that came from a lone bulb was turned off from the outside. Just perfect… Now the only thing Link saw was blackness; not even his hands before his eyes were visible. The only glimmer came from his eyes. They seemed to glow even in the absolute dark.

Link knew this kind of darkness quite well. He was somehow used to it from his dreams.

The break will surely be over soon…

"Damn it!" he cursed, trying to find something that would provide light. The minutes passed while he groped his way, touching every object in and on the cupboards and shelves to find out what it was. Finally he found a little, but nevertheless useful flashlight. With the dim shine of light it produced he searched the walls and – a miracle! – there actually was a second door. He ran towards it, slowly gripped the handle and… it opened. Link stepped outside, finding himself on the rear side of the building. He raced through the well kept park that surrounded the school. Back in the lobby he gave a sigh of relieve when he realized, he still had 10 minutes before the next lesson. He walked up to today's list of substitutes. Well, well, Miss Shadoa seemed to be gone for the next few weeks. It said 'business strip' on the list. Nonsense, Link thought. At least he knew the real cause for her absence: She was looking for someone, a she. And it seemed priority one to find said person. It was probably a good idea to keep silent about all this.

The student had a seat in the cafeteria, to catch his breath. This day continued to get even stranger. He wondered what might happen next. Lost in thought he daydreamed a little. He felt a little tired and feeble. He supported his head with his hands. A feeling of all that being too much swept over him. He simply had enough for one day. Sara stood at one of the coffee-vending-machines when she noticed her brother. When she saw him there, slumped down, she worried a little for whatever reason. She approached his table. He was actually about to fall asleep here!

"Link!" she yelled.

"What?" he droned.

"Link, you've gotta be out of it. Falling asleep like this… tz, tz."

"Eh… no, I just acted like dozing off. I only wanted to rest a little and access my memory, really."

Sara looked puzzled.

"…for… erm, math." Link added.

"Link, you're swindling again. What's really up?"

"Nothing. I just want to be alone!" he roared at her. Everyone in the cafeteria turned towards him.

"I'm sorry…" was everything, he said before he fled from there.

Sara only worried more after that outburst. She loved her sibling dearly. But of late something troubled, but he would always hide it. She wished she could help him. What could be the cause for his strange behavior? Actually, he had always been like this: ignoring problems, hiding fears, concealed what hurt his soul. Even though, Sara strongly suspected something. She often heard him talk in his sleep, knew, he must have evil nightmares… she couldn't really help him, as much as she wanted to. Link was a lone wolf, an outsider. He would always be different, compared to most people surrounding him. He simply was Link; someone with an extraordinary destiny, with an unique purpose. And his way would be paved of pain, suffering and despair…

Link was on his way back to the classroom, cursing himself for treating his sister so badly. She wanted only his best. Link started to run, closing his eyes. Why did he feel so horrible and why wasn't he able to be happy for once? Why did he have feelings that others never had, feelings they don't even know.

He felt guilty… but guilty of what? Of having a heart that is consumed by desire for different times and the longing for achieving something great?!? He stopped to look out of the window; he could still see the sun from here… he had to go in the woods… but why? For some reason he was under the impression that someone called him there – a familiar voice.

He turned away, finally entered the classroom, sat down on his seat. He noticed Rick's disconcerted eyes watching him.

"Anything new?"

Link declined. At the moment he wasn't keen on talking to somebody.

The lesson passed, so thought Link, with it's everyday habit, it's hair-raising normality. And once more he was bored and deeply in thought, doodling mindlessly on a sheet of paper, acting as if he followed the lesson every now and then. Occasionally he caught himself being at a completely different place for some seconds.

Half an hour had passed when Link abruptly dropped his pencil. Clack. Clack. The writing utensil hit the floor with a very noticeable noise, but he didn't mind. Petrified he looked straightforward; almost as if he was hypnotized he stared into nothing. His breath took a faster pace and a strange pressure was upon his thoughts, not bothering however. It actually was familiar and comforting. Something was there… someone was calling him!

Everything became unimportant, every single sound seemed to come from the bottom of the ocean. Only low frequencies… they hammered in his head. It imposed itself on him. Someone called…

Link pressed his hands over his ears, heard a heartbeat besides his own. It burned mentally, but Link still concentrated on it, wanted to know what it was… and who…

In combat with the obstacles his destiny will present he would prevail. He wanted to know, feel, see…

A bang, a clang, a whirring, slowly becoming the noise of a violent stream. Link frantically shut his eyes. He hoped… called for this person as well now. He didn't fully understand what he was doing, but it had to be done. This was destined to happen, no matter if it had a name. The roaring became more intense, yet more comprehensible and calmer. Someone tried to call…

And it happened! One word in all the levels of his mind, a voice, sounding soft, made him open his cramped eyes wide.

"Link", it called, that voice he somehow knew, or wanted to know.

"Link… Link"

When he heard his name the third time, he stood up at once. Every one of his colleagues turned to look at him dazedly, but he didn't see any of them. He followed only this voice, heard and felt only it. Almost as if he was remote controlled he escaped the room, didn't understand the indignant words of his English teacher, couldn't comprehend the yells of his fellow students, not even Rick's. He was drawn outside, ran through the main gate of the school. He could hear the voice more clearly now: "Link… help me…"

Then nothing more…

It became quiet and dark in his mind. Calm returned into his heart and it seemed as if he had just awoken from a long trance. Extremely unsettled he lay his palm on his glowing forehead. He wanted answers, wanted knowledge. What the hell happened? Scared of himself and deeply ashamed of getting crazy like this he sank down on the stone steps in the schoolyard.

"I'm going mad!" he murmured. He wished he wasn't so deluded to think that this voice actually existed. But even though concerned for his sanity, he was positive that it was real. It called him… It was no illusion!

"I couldn't possibly imagine all that…" he reassured himself. He tried to remember it, a charming voice, crystal clear and delightful. You almost had no choice but to listen intently to it. This voice…

Link stayed there for a little while longer, talked to his teacher later to excuse his behavior, but didn't say any more words to anyone. He yearned to hear it again, wanted to know, who it belonged and why it moved him so much. It was, as if his heart reacted to every little nuance, as if this voice passed the key to all the answers he wanted in his life.

The hours passed. Link couldn't follow the lessons very well, he didn't even listen to the teachers, but fled into wonderful fantasies to flee from reality. He then seemed to stumble out of the building like a ghost, walking past happy faces, looking forward to a free afternoon. Weariness. Unease. Doubt. His head hurt. On his way back home all things that happened today swept over him again. First this nerve-racking dreams, then the sinister words of the headmistress – he was able to free himself, what could that mean? – and finally the voice that had cast a spell on him…

At home his mother waited for him with lunch. Link wasn't hungry at all, but he still ate a little something to give the impression that everything was perfectly fine – something he didn't feel like at all.

He took his dark green backpack to his room looked through the window towards the woods. Only few minutes… then he would be amidst old wood creatures, alone with himself and all those tormenting questions, alone with his sorrows. The trees' whispers already reached his ears, luring him to a world, where he could dream.

Link didn't ponder long. He ran out of his room and after a quick "See you later!" for his mother he hurried to where his desires lay, where he could think, undisturbed. At a little spring he stopped, had a drink of its cold water and dropped himself onto a soft spot of moss. He stretched his limbs as far as he could, enjoyed the silence, which only was disturbed by the wind's song. He closed his eyes, tried to smile but it remained a try. It has been long since he had a smile that his heart genuinely felt. At the moment he did feel well enough to leave all these unsettling experiences behind, but… this voice…

This lovely voice, sticking in his mind like a splinter, he couldn't suppress at all. Such a comforting voice… Link yawned and closed his eyes, noticing little insects crawling on his hand. He ignored them and fell asleep in the dampened light that shone through the leaves.

In late evening Link was torn away from the, for him highly necessary, clutches of sleep. A few warming rays of sunlight still found their way through the treetops. A loud voice made him open his eyes. Rick stood right before him, wondering. His auburn eyes seemed to shine a little. Apparently he was in the mood for joking around.

"Well, awake already, woodboy?" Link held his hand in front of his mouth, which he unintentionally had to open wide to yawn heartily.

"How late is it?", he asked for a greeting.

"Half past seven. Don't say you've been here the whole afternoon again." Rick said while sitting down on the ground and pulling a letter out of his pocket.

"Yep, but I seem to have forgotten time, numbed or manipulated… whatever. Well, at least I'm more awake than I ever was these last weeks." Grinning he lay back down, his hands behind his head.

"Bad dreams again?" Link could only nod, his grin vanishing again. Rick knew of his problems, his unusual dreams, which could leave their marks in reality. Rick knew quite a lot…

"Anyway, I've got a letter for you."

"Not again…"

"Well, yes. And I'm starting to become jealous, you heartthrob!"

Link received the letter, bitter and bored to tears.

"From who?"

"You may guess three times." Link knew the handwriting only too well, knew the brightly pink colored name of the sender.

"Ilona again… Does she ever give up?" Yes, Ilona…

Link remembered: A stuck-up, conceited goose who was convinced beyond doubt, that if she showed lots of skin, she could get any guy she wanted. A skinny figure, unmatched by a round moon-face with peroxide-blonde colored hair, that didn't salvage anything. Light-blue contact lenses hid her real eye color, but she was dumb enough to show hint towards them by constantly fumbling around her eyes to check if they were still there. Every one of her characteristics made her more disgusting. She had to find fault in everything and when something did not go perfectly as she wished, she would not be stingy with bad language. She had mastered gossiping about people behind their backs. Of course, if she wanted something of someone, she could be the nicest person on earth. Last time she and Preston, whatever the hell his surname was, were a couple. A perfect match.

One time, Link had agreed to meet her, hoping that if he behaved mean and nasty, she would leave him be in the future. He still couldn't quite believe things happened the way they did. Every beastliness he had mustered back then, she dismissed as bad humor and many things she probably didn't even understand. And when Link with barely disguised intention had tipped over a big glass of Cola right on her impossibly tight miniskirt, she simply went to the toilet without a word. The perfect opportunity to make off, which of course he had used promptly. Unfortunately she knew where he lived, so little time later she stood on his doorstep…

Annoyed he tore open the envelope. Already after reading the opening he ripped the whole letter apart several times.

"What's up?"

"This wretched goat thinks she can endear herself by addressing me in such a cheap way. That does it!" Link had to get up and drink from the spring. Rick searched for the matching pieces and read the title.

"Lovely Hero?", a flabbergasted Rick stuttered. That wasn't such a hot idea… He knew exactly what Link thought of being called things like that. It could get dangerous, especially if the title was referring something he didn't want to be. And Rick was sure about where this very one originated from.

"This false beast has no idea. One more time and I break her neck!" he hissed through clenched teeth. He of course would not lay a finger on her, but he needed a nice imagination to blow off steam.

"Come on, man, don't get so fired up about _that_." Normally Link kept his cool very easily, but the word hero brought his blood to a boil. He hated the word because of the regular comparisons to the game-character.

"Rick, I know you're right, but it still vexes me that this chick has now discovered my passion for the Zelda-games as well. I certainly didn't choose this name of mine."

"I know that. No need to explain that to me. Tell Ilona, though I don't think that will shut her up." Link sat back down besides his best friend and watched the sky pensively.

"Tell me, Link…"

"Yeah, what?"

"Would you like it if Ilona was called Zelda?" Rick smiled guileful. Link knew he wanted to provoke him a little. A little perplexed he looked at him, searching for a smart reply.

"If Zelda looked like Ilona, the gods of Hyrule would have to stand in a corner and feel ashamed for such a creation."

"Oh, I think the gods of this world have made this stupid mistake."

"An inexcusable mistake…" Link agreed, thinking about Rick's question. If Ilona was named Zelda… Actually, he thought, no-one could look or be like princess Zelda. He adored her… How childish! Link adored a game-character, dreamt about a virtual girl without thinking about a real one at all. A little disappointed in himself he wondered briefly, if that was the nature of his problems. Was he obsessed with a fabulous princess of a game? Was he in love with her? Head-shaking he rejected these thoughts as stupid youth problems and lay down on his back.

"I don't think anyone can hold a candle to Princess Zelda." He murmured, silently remembering some of his dreams. They were quite a burden, but without these nightly pictures he simply wouldn't be himself. Sometimes he dreamt about a girl he knew… yes, he did… but her name certainly wasn't Zelda, he tried to convince himself.

"There is also nobody who could hold a candle to Link." Rick uttered, which earned him a little jab on his right arm.

"Hey, do you really have to annoy me constantly? Nice cousin, you are!"

"Well, I happen to know that you can need little pleasantries for a change." Link tried to smile, but it didn't quite work out. The outcome was merely a silly grin.

"Thanks, Rick, changes really don't hurt."

"Well then, would you like to spend tomorrow afternoon on Maron's horse ranch? It's been quite a long time since we rode together."

Mmh… go riding. Sounded good.

"Settled!", he said enthusiastically. Maron was a good friend of Rick's. She, her parents and her two sisters had quite an enormous stud farm. It really has been a long time since he's been there.

At about eight o'clock in the evening the two seventeen-year-olds got on their way back home, however taking the longer route, because they wanted to look at the beauty of the woods a little longer. They met an elderly man, Igor, if Link remembered correctly, another soul that was often drawn into the forest.

Rick and Link reached the first gardens and saw families having a grill-party. The weather really was wonderful, the first warm spring day that year. Still… soon storms would arise and a blood-red coat would suffocate the world…

"Link, I just thought of something."

"Yeah? 'bout what?" He picked up a little stone, just to throw it in the air and catch it for fun.

"What got into you in school today?" Link dropped the stone and stared blankly at the gardens with all these happy people and frolicking children. Sadly, he had never gotten the chance to fool about like this. As a child of four years he had had a hard time in an orphanage, and now…

In every step of his life there had been an incident, which made him wonder why fate was so cruel to him. After the orphanage things were going better, but then these dreams started to haunt him.

Dreams, that Link had not the insight to explain.

Dreams, so enigmatic like a script that nobody knew how to read.

And these past few days he was accompanied by this voice. Another one of Link's silent fits, another one of his so called problems.

"I guess it just wasn't a very good day for me", he started, telling only half of it, but justified this by telling himself that he had not lied.

"Unfortunately, you have quite a lot of these bad days, I have to say. I don't want to interfere in your business, but you know I can be as silent as a grave."

"I know", Link replied. Sighing he leaned against a tree, still hearing the shrill children's laughs.

"I am going mad, Rick. That's the problem."

"How should I understand that?" Rick went over to him to be able to look at Link's face.

"I'm starting to get schizophrenic. That's it!", he uttered more loudly.

"Because of your dreams?"

"No."

"Then why?"

Link stared at the sky, observed a buzzard, flying his rounds in the air. He wished he was such an animal, without problems, gliding high above in freedom.

"Link," Rick tried to break the silence. "Come on. We have always shared everything, haven't we?"

"Okay, Rick, if you have to know: I'm hearing voices", he spat. "Yeah, just look aghast. You're feeling better now, knowing that your best pal is a damn lunatic?"

Rick answered nothing, his brown eyes gazing uncertainly upon the gardens.

"Right in there is this voice", Link grumbled, tapping on his head with his finger.

"A beautiful voice at that. It's driving me crazy."

Rick turned around, so that his friend didn't have to see his shocked expression.

"A lonely, desperate voice I should know", he added. "And I know it will keep calling me until I found it."

"Damn it all!", he roared after a while, hitting the tree bark hard with his left fist. He then sunk almost stunned down on the ground. "I can't simply imagine all this, can I?", he murmured. "She called for me four or five times now… saying my name, asking for help…", he whispered.

"Who?", Rick finally managed to stutter.

"I don't know."

After a long pause Rick stated: "Well, what can I say to that, Link. You've never been a normal person, not even when I got to know you. And I guess you won't be able to change that, no matter what you do."

Link got up turbidly and walked to his cousin's side, looking in the same general direction.

"Maybe I really have to admit that to myself and accept it." It couldn't be changed. These things had happened. Link could call himself a madman, call himself sick. But what he had experienced would not be undone.

"You still want to go riding tomorrow?"

The desperate expression on the frustrated young man's face got a little brighter. "Yes I do."

"Well then, see you tomorrow in school."

"See you", he replied, watching Rick walk quickly back home.

Rick's words made him ponder. There probably was no point in denying it any longer. Something was not right with Link. But if it was something unusual, if he was sick or if it was only imagination should become clearer very soon.

Shortly before nine o'clock Link arrived at home, where the nerve wrecking hue and cry of his mother awaited him. It was his punishment for neither having made his homework, nor having studied for his exam on the following day. For agitated Meira Bravery the worst thing however was that he hadn't told anybody where he had gone to. He could have taken his cell-phone with him, but you couldn't receive calls in the woods anyway.

"Link, if you continue like this, you'll be grounded." That baffled him. How could she threaten him with that? She had never…

"Come on, Mum, I'm almost eighteen." Link answered, feigning the little innocent.

"Well, you've never acted like this before."

"And? What's wrong with acting how I want to?"

"It's wrong because in life, things never happen like we want them to be", she recited with motherly wisdom, which she thought very highly of.

Link knew what she was talking about… it was his whole dilemma that his life would never go as he wanted it to.

"But you can try to change some things", he retorted, not sure if he believed in his own defiance.

_There__ always was hope and there still is now… _

A phrase that occurred to him often although he never knew who had said it once. Even if the world itself was to go down, cursed and dead, he would still be the optimist and if he was the last human alive.

Stubborn as always he trotted up to his room where he cast a few glances into the geography book for the exam tomorrow. Shortly afterwards he morosely threw it into the corner of the room while looking at his Gamecube. He took the little disc out of the console, let it circle between his hands and remembered the dream shattering truth that Hyrule and all its wonders were just a game. A game, not more and no less. It's a real pity, Link thought, dismissing the pathetic feelings for a world that didn't exist.

It knocked at his door. Without letting Link say anything, his little sister in her moss-green pajamas entered the room. "Hey bro, can I play Zelda a little?"

"Sure, be my guest. I'm done learning anyway."

"I'd never have guessed", she said artfully. "You never had problems with geography anyway. I'd like to know where you got all that knowledge." Link eyes wandered to the ceiling. Good question, but when it was about maps, countries and their position, rivers and such, Link had almost clairvoyant abilities. He would never get lost anywhere, that's for sure.

Sara sat down in Links TV-corner and started playing Ocarina of Time. Her brother served himself with some sandwiches his mother had brought him and switched on his computer to check his mails. As usual, there was nothing that remotely interested him. From his desk he peered over to Sara who was about to bring the poor hero of time in extreme peril. She wanted to prevail against Dark-Link, but had no idea how to send him to eternal perdition. She covered him in strokes, which would eventually have an effect on him, but she suddenly pressed 'Start' and threw the controller angrily into the corner.

"I can't believe your patience with playing through this game. Doesn't it ever get boring even for you?" she questioned, knowing, that Link had played the game at least a hundred times from beginning to end.

"No. With every time I get better, that's my motivation", he answered, taking the controller in his hands.

"Do you know your problem when fighting Dark-Link?"

"Nooo…", she said pouty, "…or I would have done him in long ago."

Link chuckled. "Yeah, sounds logical."

He then played with ease and maddening patience.

"You are too hectic and impatient. You don't think about utilizing what he does not have, because he is only a shadow. In battle it's not just about speed and slaughtering the enemy quickly. A good player enjoys the fight, he battles with grace and elegance. He robs his adversary's strength with every blow, instead of flailing the sword around, even if many gamers are convinced of this method." Sara eyed the screen, slowly understanding her brother's point. Link used magical attacks, she didn't even know they existed in this game and fought differently with the game-Link than she did. Strange… it seemed, as if the green capped hero performed different moves with his sword whenever Link controlled him. Baloney, she told herself, that's impossible. She must have dreamed that right now…

After a few seconds Dark-Link was defeated.

"Here you go. Do you want to go on?"

"Uh, no. You better continue. Apparently you were born to play Zelda." With a wink she got up and looked at her watch. Ten o'clock already.

"Good night." Link also wished her sweet dreams and ended the game.

He knew however that he wouldn't be able to find sleep any time soon. His nap in the woods maybe was a tad too long. A short walk around the house could help. After that was decided he quickly stumbled down the stairs and exited the house for some fresh air.

The short walk soon turned out to be a little stroll towards the inner city. Again he was on his way without anybody knowing where he was, which could only get him into more trouble. Ah, what the heck!

Link loped absentmindedly on the old marketplace. He cast a look into the well as the light of the street-lamps reflected on the calm water. He touched the surface lightly with the tip of his index finger and watched the extending circles on it soon disappear into calmness again.

He suddenly had the feeling of being watched. He scanned the whole marketplace methodically, eying every last dark corner and finally the unlighted side streets. The feeling grew in intensity, became more threatening, more frightening. Somebody drew closer.

Link took a few steps backwards and felt his pulse quicken. As if an old memory was activated anew, emotions of hatred, detestation and horror welled up inside in an instant.

Steps…

Link heard a clatter that originated somewhere deep in the dark. The leaves of the poplars that edged the square rustled. Then, again there were steps.

Links breaths per minute increased rapidly. Again he looked in every direction. He couldn't define this feeling of fear of this nearing entity, for dread and the helplessness of panic were alien to him. Link had verily never feared anybody or anything. Something that would change very soon. The teenager with the green base-cap tripped all of a sudden. He turned around. The darkness revealed nothing. Silence. Absolute silence. He felt a bit queasy. Without further thoughts he Link jumped to his feet and ran towards a little alley where the buildings on the sides were crowded together. His steps were ever going faster. His heart felt as if it would burst of unrestrained impatience, tension and excitement. He kept hastening through the unlit alleyways. He closed his eyes for a brief moment.

Suddenly he bumped into someone, but was immediately and violently pushed aside. Link flew several meters backwards, then shook his head in stupor. His eyes peered tensely into the darkness. Someone stood right before him. A big person, considerably taller than him. The dark figure kept its silence and remained cloaked. Link had not got the strength to move a single muscle, as if chains of dread bound him. A memory… Ominous hate and nameless woes.

In one of the houses the light was turned on. A glare filled the alley and revealed the figures face, gave it form and contour. The air was chilly, but even if Link started to freeze, a drop of sweat ran down his forehead. Cold. Severe, invincible cold crept around, incasing the unknown being.

A giant, strong stood before him. It had to be a man, Link couldn't imagine a woman being this tall and sturdy. He wore black clothes, matching his noticeably dark, unearthly skin. Link's blue eyes wandered from dark brown leather boots up to tight, ugly trousers, which seemed about to be ripped apart by the muscles on his legs. They saw a kind of armor around his muscular chest. Over his back hung a black, heavy cape. Link looked fear-ridden at an arrogant, old face. Severe pain shot through his entire body upon seeing this fierce grimace. Pale lips, a long nose. Link risked a look into the dark pair of eyes, which glared down humiliatingly from their high throne. Unable to turn his head away he continued to stare into these blackness-filled eyes. He felt as if a curse spread throughout his body, as if old wounds reopened in an instant.

Link finally looked away in disgust, didn't want to remember the color of these frenzied, contemptuous devil-eyes. In the same second the light was turned off again.

"Watch out where you are crawling, little maggot." The deep, cold voice boomed in the whole street. To the youth's ears it sounded uncomfortably familiar; mocking and malevolent.

The dark figure ran towards him with big steps. Instantly Link noticed a threatening sparkle in those eyes, an unnatural glow, visible in the surrounding darkness.

"Those who cross my way will perish!", the guy shouted with unbelievably self-assurance. He wanted to smash Link with his foot, but the young man evaded and rolled skillfully away, so that he now stood behind the aggressor.

This maniac, without bothering to turn around, growled: "If you ever infest my sight again, I will not show such cordiality, you poor twit!"

With his head vainly risen, the dark figure strutted away.

What a bastard, Link thought the moment he realized what had happened a few seconds ago. His breathes got calmer and his pulse started to slow down. He was confused about this unknown numbing fear he had just experienced. He looked back to where the douchebag had gone off to, but he was not to be seen. He had felt completely defenseless against this guy…

He somehow had a very unsettling feeling upon the thought of encountering this brute again. Who was he anyway? Link lived in a little town where anybody had at least seen anybody once, but this person was completely unknown to him.

Slowly but steadily the strings of destiny are tightening and when the deciding day has begun, there would be no turning back for Link and those close to him.

As the next day began, everything seemed to be perfectly in order again. No voice in Link's head. No nightmares haunting his mind. Only a few – too few of course – hours of calm sleep. He thought about it and hoped that the last day was gone and of no further consequence. He walked to school with new happiness in his heart, which couldn't even be dimmed by the exam he would have to sit through. But such a test could hardly be called a challenge, in comparison to hordes of axe-swinging monsters. What trouble could exams cause, when you have voices spooking in your head?

He ignored it, rejected this voice as mere imagination and enjoyed the cool, fresh air that grazed around his ears.

The exam turned out to be a piece of cake, a boring one at that, and the rest of the school day he also managed without any curious occurrences.

On the afternoon the young 'hero' ran bouncily to the horse ranch of Maron's family.

Maron… Link knew her well. She was a pretty girl with long auburn hair, a remarkably cute face and a lot of charm and humor. She too had temporarily adored him, which was why Link had tried to avoid her a little bit. She, of course, was nothing like Ilona, and had considerably more brain than this cheap hussy. And Maron admittedly was quite likeable, but simply not his type. On the other hand, he had no clue what his type of girl actually was…

Rick however seemed to have fallen for her completely, so Link supported him in any way he could.

Rick and Maron already awaited him at the paddock.

"Hey, wood boy! We're here!" Rick's voice echoed through the air. Link noticed both of them and toddled up to them. Maron sat on the fence, dangling her legs. She smiled broadly at Link. Dodging her gaze a little he tried to bring a smile on his face as well, but, as always, it remained a try.

"Hi, Link", she said and jumped handily down from the gate.

"Hi Maron. So, what's the plan for today?"

She winked and answered: "Well, how about a little round through the forest. We could pass through the little abandoned village near the coin spring."

"Nice idea." Rick also gave his OK.

Near Destinykeep existed quite a lot of curious places, each with an old story behind them. For example there was a partly sunken village which was completely vacant, or the fabulous spring, which had many legends woven around it. Casting a coin in it, so the tale tells, would make a fond wish come true.

For Link all of that were just fairy-tales, just as 'The Legend of Zelda was only a game. Unreal. Not really worth thinking about…

Not after long three horses loped through the woods surrounding Destinykeep, over wild paths and through dense foliage.

"Hey, Link?" Rick started, as Maron was a few meters before them on her Haflinger.

"Mmh?"

"Feeling a little better today?" Link looked questioningly at his friend and nodded slightly.

"I think yesterday was just a stupid day. No need to worry now", he ensured, avoiding to look in Rick's eyes. Pigheadedly he continued riding, relishing going through these woods on horseback. He liked the feeling of letting himself be carried away from everything, remembering how essential freedom, liveliness and the feeling of a nearing adventure were to him.

On late afternoon they reached the old village in the middle of the forest. There were a few buildings seeable, slowly collapsing of the weight of time. The three teenagers took a break, relaxed and took pleasure in the blue spring-sky. Link walked around between the cottages absentmindedly. He followed an old cobbled path leading to the mysterious spring.

In the meantime Maron and Rick just sat together on the green meadows.

"Hey, tell me, Rick," Maron started, wiping one of her strands of hear out of her face.

"What's up?" he mumbled, opening his eyes halfway. He lay spread-eagled and airily on the grass, apparently not rejecting the thought of a little nap.

"It's about Link…" Rick sat back up to look into Maron's thoughtful face. Something in her look made gave her thoughts away. "You are worried about him, am I right?"

"Well, just look at him. Did you ever see a genuine smile on his serious face in the last weeks? I mean, he's in the best years of his life, of anyone's life, and he is sometimes scowling as if a whole planet's fate was resting on his shoulders. He can hardly enjoy anything, rarely be happy altogether."

Rick was baffled. Well, yeah, he knew Link had his problems, now more than ever with this voice 'calling' him. But he hadn't thought that it was so obvious to others who didn't know him as well as he did. It made him ponder.

"Link has his secrets, Maron, I'm afraid I can't tell you more. But the smile thing is sadly true. He never smiles…", he ascertained discontented.

"Why? I mean, there's got to be a reason for his mood."

"Yeah, I'm sure there is…" Maron laid her hand on Rick's shoulder.

"Do you think we can do anything to help him? We're his friends after all, Rick." He shrugged his shoulder a bit.

"The problem is that Link wants to find out what's troubling him and resolve it on his own. That's just how he is, I guess."

"Stubborn idiot!", Maron muttered aggravated. She blew strands of her hair out of her face, where the wind had blown them previously.

"Oh yeah, he really is tremendously pigheaded and unreasonable. But I don't have to tell you."

Maron laughed out loudly. "No. If he's anything BUT pigheaded and unreasonable, he's adventurous. That will bring him into precarious situations one day", she concluded the discussion.

Link was currently standing at the spring, which originated directly from the side of a mountain. He could spot quite a lot of coins in the shallow basin. Since he was such a righteous guy he didn't even think about taking any.

He bailed a little bit of water with his hands and splashed it into his face. He had almost fallen asleep on his Frisian horse before, had there not been a vicious branch slapping him.

Sleeplessness, he thought. Nothing but sleeplessness, caused by senseless dreams and a strange notion that whispered of something nearing.

Link eyed the shadowy image of himself, which came into view on the water's surface. He didn't understand why, but he suddenly had to think about the demonic guy he encountered the day before. Just imagining him made Link feel unpleasant, but he couldn't help pondering over the bruiser. Something about him made the teenager suspicious; something about him was frighteningly familiar.

Link took a little more of the crystal-clear water in his hands, jumped up and tossed it right into the air. The little drops dropped back into the basin one after another and Link had another look at the blurred contours of his own face.

He couldn't clearly perceive the image, but it didn't matter. He let his fingertips graze the water softly. His whole mirror-image blurred.

When he took another look his face reflected perfectly clear all of a sudden. He saw his deep-blue eyes, his nose, the prominent features and a smile. Link however did not smile, only the reflection did.

He sharply hit the surface with his fist, shattered the image, which he didn't want to have to see, destroyed a smiling young man he never was.

The surface calmed, but again there was his beaming face clearly visible on it. Link bent closer, found this little game was starting to get queer, but he knew he couldn't escape this wondrous happening. Slowly, another figure showed itself in the water beside his face. A gorgeous girl's face, which also gave a charming smile. She was the most beautiful thing he had ever laid eyes upon. Completely stunned by this wonderful face he stared at her, before reality pulled him back. Startled, he spun around. There was nobody to be seen. Carefully he eyed the spot again, but the girl, as well as his own reflection was gone. Everything was as normal as before…

"Link?" Maron called from far away. "Where are you?"

He shook his confused head quickly, ignored everything that happened, as always, and answered shouted: "Here, at the spring."

A few seconds later Maron and Rick came strolling up to him. "Are you coming? We want to continue on our way."

"Er… yeah… yeah alright." Link uttered and dismissed the occurrence as just another product of his fantasy.

"Something wrong? You look very scatterbrained." Rick asked.

"Nothing. It's nothing", he replied, quickly walking away from both of his friends. He didn't say anything, how could he? He felt nothing… but self-doubt.

Around evening the green-capped youth arrived back at his parents' home, wondering if he would be able to sleep after dinner.

Link opened the door and promptly bumped into Sara who carried a sack of garbage to the dumpster. "Well, bro, already back?"

"Yep. And believe it or not I'm here completely, with heart and soul. Anything new?"

"Not really", she replied, walking to the trash container.

Just as Link entered the house she quickly ran after him and said: "I almost forgot! Today there was this weird person at our door, asking for you."

"Huh? What person?"

Sara walked up the stairs behind her brother. "I don't know, wore a hood. Said you should be extra careful from now on."

"Was it a man, a tall one with broad shoulders?" Maybe this strange, self-important bloke was stalking him.

"No, more like a woman with red hair."

"What?"

"You heard correctly. She said you should watch over yourself. I found her a little creepy.

Thoughtfully he opened the door leading to his room and closed the window that was wide open.

"Anything else of note? Where's mum 'n dad?"

"Mum's in the kitchen. Dad's going to work all night again. He and his stupid insurances. Soon he'll come up with insurances for insurances", she pouted.

"Have you anything planned for the rest of the day, bro? It's Thursday and if I remember correctly school starts one hour later for you tomorrow."

"Haah, sorry, Sara, but I'm not in the mood for anything. I'm going to play Zelda for a little while and go to bed afterwards." He got comfortable in his TV-corner.

His sister suddenly stood in front of him, laying her hand on his forehead. Not surprised by her sudden hunch, Link really had a little high temperature.

"What's that supposed to be?" he grumbled.

"Are you freaking out completely now? It's only a little past six o'clock."

"Well, and?"

"If you continue cultivating this pesky mood of yours, you're going to screw up your life completely."

"It is still my life, Sara", he retorted.

"You reject every bit of responsibility for yourself, Link." She wiggled her index finger in front of his face. "You're seventeen, but you're acting like an undead fool who doesn't know what being alive is about. You weren't always like this."

Enraged Link jumped to his feet. "Yes, I was. I've always been like that, tough luck you never saw it. D'you think I have a choice concerning all of this? I simply am not normal, okay? That's why I, contrary to what you foolishly think, do not screw up my life. I am waiting for something and when occurs, you will understand me perfectly."

Murmuring Sara left the room, hissing a nasty 'Good night' at him.

After she was gone, Link, of course, turned on his Gamecube. It simply was an addiction to play, fighting your way through the game.

Only moments later his mother entered his room and said: "Link, I hope you haven't forgotten that your father and I are going to go on holiday for several days, starting next week."

"No, I have not. Is there a problem?" He looked at her, his eyes bleary and with dark circles under them. Maybe he was really starting to get a fever.

"No, no, I just want you to take good care of your sister during that time, alright?"

"If she doesn't take care of me, of course." Link added. A brief smile crossed his mother's face.

"I'm going to pay a visit to your aunt Lydia, so it's probably going to be late."

"Okay, got it."

"Can I do something for you? Do you need anything, dear?"

"Thanks mum, but don't trouble yourself. I'm perfectly happy." Link tried, emphasis on tried, to bring a smile on his face. "If only I could finish this game."

"Well then, see you later." His mother left his room with a cheerful face, his fake grin had done its job well.

At the moment he directed the hero on Hyrule Field towards Lake Hylia. All of a sudden a nameless tiredness crept over him, forcing him to drop the controller. His mind was engulfed by it and an unknown power tore him deeply into the realm of dreams. Link had a last deep breath before consciousness was taken from him.

_Where in the world was he? Something smarted on his skin, pain on his chest, crawling up his neck, as if innumerable glowing iron rods were pricking him. He could not see, his eyes were sewn shut. He attempted to scream but his voice was extinct. _

_Abruptly the fire that agonized him pierced through his skin, crept deeper, reaching his inner organs. _

_The faint voice called once again, this beautiful, clear voice of a girl, calling his name again and again._

_She called for help… but Link could not help; he was fighting his own pain. There was no greater torment thinkable than the wounds the fire caused, that devoured his body, until he felt myriads of tiny, sharp icicles raining down, mauling his body._

_Link screamed now on top of his lungs and couldn't stop. On every inch vicious pain tore him apart; but he could not do anything to help himself, nothing to ease the torture. He anticipated that this was his death struggle… in battle with destiny…_

Sara stormed Links room, finding her brother on the floor. His arms flailing around wildly, screaming with all his might. Sara couldn't believe her eyes. His T-shirt was almost completely burnt away and his skin was studded with nasty wounds. Aghast, she knelt down, holding one hand over her mouth and with the other jolting his shoulder.

"Wake up, Link. For heaven's sake, what happened… wake up already!" Sara slapped him vigorously. His bloodcurdling scream slowly calmed down, turning into sharp moans until he finally got absolutely quiet. He opened his blue eyes.

"Curse it!" was everything he could utter. He frowned painfully as he realized that his wounds had followed him into reality. Sara knelt beside him and cried. Meanwhile Link tried to sit up. His body shook violently. What in god's name had happened?

He looked down on his upper body, which was bleeding from many little wounds. There were burnings and spots that suffered from hypothermia right besides each other. He started to get sick because of pain, although the injuries didn't hurt as much as in the dream at all. Link attempted to get to his feet, his sister helped him, so he could support himself on her shoulder. She dragged him to the bathroom.

* * *

Please reviews. I hope you enjoined reading. ,The Legend of Zelda' is so much more than simply a game und I just want to express this with every word I was writing. Thank You.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 2: A fateful discovery

Confused, Sara looked at her brother. She had always thought, she knew him, but apparently all that was a lie.

"Link, does it hurt badly?" He in the meantime tried his best not to collapse or throw up. He felt miserable and said with a piteous voice: "So-so…"

"You liar. Alright, I know the question was just plain stupid." Sara eyed the wounds more carefully, as Link sat on a chair. "Good god… who could have done this to you?" With a cotton-swab, she gingerly applied disinfectant on the lesions. Link shut his eyes, clenched his teeth and hissed through them pressed: "If I knew… he wouldn't get to live another second."

Sara was horrified. She had never heard her brother utter something like this. It sounded cruel and cold. Every emotion seemed to have vanished from his eyes as well. They were completely dominated by cold hate beyond imagination. Startled she dropped the cotton ball in her hand. Did he react that way to cope with the pain, or was there another reason? Sara felt, as if she treated a complete stranger all of a sudden. This person was not her brother. Maybe he never was, should this be his true face.

"Sara… I'm sorry…" Link whispered. "I am confused. It was… Just when I wanted to play… an irresistible tiredness befell me and in dream I was mauled like this by something. I am terrified… of falling asleep." Sara smiled in relief, now knowing that she had not been wrong about Link all her life. Delicately she said: "Maybe you shouldn't play Zelda for now."

Link immediately knew that Sara was right. Every time he tried to play with this particular game, something happened to him. Odd. Sara started to apply a giant bandage over Link's chest and abdomen. "Sara, I thank you very much. But, I have to ask you not to tell Mom and Dad about… whatever it was that happened. They would just be worried sick. I have to deal with it myself. This concerns me and me alone. I am going to find out who did it and what goal he pursued." Link's face radiated tremendous courage and determination all of a sudden. Initially, she wanted to object, but upon seeing his face…

"Okay, if you promise not to touch that game for now."

Link nodded. "Promise."

Sara and her brother pondered on the recent events. Link knew, sooner or later, his body would have to rest. He couldn't fight back his fatigue for much longer. He lay on his bed and dared not to move a single muscle. The painkiller he continuously swallowed didn't seem to kick in. How could they, when these wounds clearly weren't of any natural source.

The sun sank behind the treetops and tinted the small city in soft pink and orange. Link was already asleep, but his dreams were harmless, compared to the main incident of the day. This hell, he was forced to go through, probably was somehow connected to the Zelda-game, which actually was nonsensical.

The night passed sluggishly. More than once Link awoke, the searing pain from his wounds returning to his consciousness, groaning loudly. More than once he couldn't help crying out loudly. Heavens, he hadn't known what wounds were capable of. They could drive a man out of their mind, they could disturb and they could kill…

Again he woke up, his heart racing, bathed in sweat, wishing he were still in the arms of Morpheus. His whole torso smarted, only with great mental effort he managed not to vomit. He was freezing, threw his head from one side to the other and felt his sweat run down continuously. He sat up, accompanied by mortifying agony and edged out of his bed. Every step ran him hard, every move hurt. He tumbled to a cupboard, supported himself with cramped shut eyes on the wooden board. Out of a glass bowl he grabbed three more painkillers, hoping they would finally make an impact. He gulped them down and reeled back to his bed. Right before it, he couldn't support himself any longer and fell down on his knees. He felt too weak to crawl back up and let himself down on the floor, swearing violently. He shut his eyes, longing for it to be over. This pain… this torment… Why did he have to go through such things? Why did he of all people have to endure such anguish?

Link had always been stronger than others, both in strength and, even if you wouldn't know it, mentally. Many tough strokes of fate had made a confident, courageous young man out of him. Believing in "What doesn't kill you, only makes you stronger." he went his way through life. But lately he had lost a part of his former fortitude. It was too much… His life had never had many firm, logical boundaries, he knew that, but it worsened ever so quickly now. Life expected too much of him. He was a teenager, who wanted to live and to have fun. But every time he thinks that a change is at hand, the next surprising blow of fate disillusioned him. Much like these unexplainable injuries, that no one else had to endure.

Peeved and disgusted by himself for feeling so weak and helpless, he laid a hand on his glowing forehead and stared blankly at the now dead headlights. Just how he felt on the inside… exhausted… dead…

He wanted to fight, sure, but at the moment he only felt like forfeiting the battle. The pain got stronger, welled up on his inside. Link clenched his teeth, cramped up, ready to bear the next wave of agony. Inexorably, it came. A loud cry emerged Link's throat, then he passed out.

At nine o'clock in the morning the shrill noise of an alarm clock droned through Link's room. No one was there to hear it or shut it off however. Nobody except Link was at home. His parents were at work and Sara was at school with her clique.

On shaky legs, Link stumbled down the stairs, staggering, followed by a bad case of vertigo. He didn't perceive, didn't hear or was interested in anything.

Normally he had had a free hour today, like every Friday, which probably was the reason for nobody waking him up. Not even Sara had checked up on him. But now, Link was about to miss the second lesson. He didn't care. How utterly unimportant school was, when there were other things that troubled his young heart. Great things would happen, something major would be awoken. Somewhere deep in Oblivion it slumbered, talked in a whisper and not everybody should be able to hear, what did not want to be heard. Arduously he dragged his strained body towards the bathroom, supported himself on the sink, asking himself, who the young man was, who stared at him from behind the mirror. A curious face, youthful and yet worn out, if not old. Unfathomable eyes, as deep-blue as the sea martyred by storm. Irritated, he turned on the faucet and plunged his face into cold water. There it was again… the stinging, the searing. And no-one could understand, no-one would want to understand.

Pitying himself a little he hit the mirror glass with his left, didn't shatter it however.

At last, he padded out of the bathroom, crossed the dark corridor and reached the big living room. He picked up the telephone receiver, dialed a number and heard the voice of the receptionist of the doctor, who had his office in Destinykeep. He didn't answer. Without a single word he lowered the receiver back on the phone, knowing that no one but Sara could know of this.

He was crazy.

He had to have lost it completely.

A game could not inflict injuries, especially not one that only functioned in a game-console.

A dream could not physically harm anybody, because it was merely a fantasy.

And a doctor would surely question Link's sanity, if he told him, where he got his wounds from.

Frustrated and disappointed in himself, the seventeen year old student leaned back, gazed into space. Shouldn't he at least call his school? Sighing, he decided against it. It was irrelevant, as irrelevant as everything, useless like his whole existence…

He got up, walked into the kitchen to look for a bottle of water. When he had found it he gulped down two sips, but suddenly his hand let go of it.

"Link…" it echoed through his mind. Confused, he turned around, searched in every direction, but there wasn't anyone. This voice was now so clear and close, as if the person who possessed, it stood right behind him.

"Link…" Again it called.

He shook his head, tried to suppress the voice. He had enough, wanted back what it had taken from him – an ordinary life. His true self.

He pressed his hands on his ears and bellowed: "Leave me alone already. I don't want you. Get lost, out of my head."

Calm… silence…

The silence was promptly interrupted, however. The telephone started ringing in its maddening fashion. Link slowly ran towards it. Panting from the exertion, he arduously grabbed the receiver. It was his little sister, who called from her cell-phone, wondering, why her brother didn't show up at school.

"Link?" her cheeky voice sounded on the other end.

A weak "Yeah?" emerged his throat.

"Why aren't you at school?" How come Sara didn't know? She had disinfected and bandaged his wounds herself, hadn't she?

"I…" he started, but didn't allow himself to confess that he was too plagued with his injuries. "… wasn't in the mood." he ended the sentence and had to support his whole weight on the table the phone laid on.

"Have you gone crazy? Are you playing Zelda again?"

"No, Sara, and now leave me alone. I haven't got the nerves for your stupid advice, so just spare me." he spat, surprised he could even muster enough energy to do so.

"Damn, I'm calling, because I worry about you and all I get is your meanness. I could have done a lot of better things with my time, thank you very much." With that, she hung up. Link tapped around on the buttons, annoyed. What did it matter, Sara would calm down eventually.

With a few tablets and the ability to distract himself from the pain, he got through the morning. He sat in front of the TV, watching mindless talk shows, amused by their definition of 'problems'. These people really knew a violent stroke of fate or an ordeal, for they have experienced plenty and a few hundred more. People with cheap, bad thought out views of the world. People who didn't understand the meaning of words like destiny or purpose. From time to time, Link felt like the last man on earth, or the last man from another dimension, where life was seen and treated in a different way, where many still knew, where the significances of life lay…

For there clearly were things more important than the neighbor frequently spying through other people's windows, more important than the best friend constantly checking on her lover and a thousand times more important than the stupid hussy who judged others basing on their corpulence.

But the essential things weren't appreciated or even seen by most people in Link's surrounding.

Around one o'clock a courier disturbed Link again and brought the sickly teenager a giant carton, filled with some kind of advertisement leaflets, he was supposed to distribute in Destinykeep's streets during the next week. He had done this kind of job a few times already, but hadn't planned for this one to come. Swearing, he simply dragged the box into the corridor and left it there. He presaged probably wouldn't be quite capable of doing this mindless task.

While he was there, standing in the corridor of his parent's house, he was overcome by another peculiar feeling, as if he didn't know his identity, as if the heart in his chest beat for a reason, he had forgotten all too long. He opened the front door and stepped outside onto the front yard. Fresh air blew around his ears, a sensation that made him remember something…

He watched a horde of elementary school pupils, who happily stormed home, looking forward to the weekend. He saw so many smiling faces…

Lost in thought Link remained there and watched the sky's fantastic blue.

All of a sudden he could hear a harp, its moving sounds came from somewhere very close. A sad melody… Link looked around, but couldn't uncover the origin of the tones and just enjoyed it. Since when did someone of the neighbors play the harp? Or maybe someone moved in the empty building at the end of the street? Gotten curious, Link trod a few meters down the street, constantly looking at the vacant house, which seemed almost creepy with all the trees growing around it. No, the sounds didn't get louder, but, strangely, neither did the get more quiet. Link listened intently, almost starting to feel a little better thanks to the melody and hobbled back home. But the tones simply didn't cease to reach his ears, not even when Link was back in his room, and not when tiredness again crept into him.

When Sara came back on the late afternoon, Link lay asleep on his bed. He looked almost half dead, all pale and with dark rings under his eyes. She wanted to wake him up, but sleep didn't let go of his mind, he kept mumbling something, but didn't open his eyes. Of course Sara was worried, but what was she supposed to do? She saw Link's point when he didn't want to call a doctor, and understood that he wanted to overcome it by himself. She finally left the room and waited in her room for any sound from him.

Link wandered, without feeling any pain, in a strange world. Before him he saw a vast forest, tinted in every color autumn can muster. It looked incredibly beautiful. Attracted by nature's pure beauty he walked into the wood. He went along a small path, always following the nostalgic sounds of a lonely harp. A shudder ran down Link's back, he felt his heart ache a little, like the call of an ancient memory. He was unstoppably drawn in the direction of that gentle melody that touched his heart in this way. Who was it, who played this instrument so sensitive and affectionate? Link could not think of anything but finding this person. The way was crossed by a small stream. Its crystal-clear water softly caressing the earth and rocks… Link now followed the stream that, as Link went further, slowly turned into a small river.

On a tiny glade, framed by the water, there sat a wonderfully beautiful girl in the high, green grass and played. Sad and dreamy…

Link approached her. He couldn't do otherwise, his legs moved on their own. Her eyes still were closed, but somehow Link knew of the heavenly blue underneath. Her hair was long and of a golden color that sparkled brightly in sunlight; it flowed calmly in the wind.

She was clad in a graceful, elaborately adorned dress, out of velvet cloth. When she finally cast up her eyes, she beamed at him. Was she an angel, a voice in Link's head asked, or another wonderful being from fairy tales?

Silently, she spoke to him: "Say, will you find me?" A lone tear rolled down her cheek. Link recognized her voice from his dreams. Time after time, this very voice had called him, and now, as he finally faced the girl it belonged to, he wished it would remain in his dreams eternally. Present minded, Link answered: "If you let yourself be found." He walked up to her, knelt down, yearning to touch her cheek, if only for one time. But she backed away and replied: "Forgive, but you cannot touch me. I am merely a shadow, few more than an afterimage in your soul. Even if I now possess the gift of a voice, it will fade away and when the new day awakes, no memories of me will linger."

"You know my name, so please tell me yours"

"You know my name, you always knew it, and never shall you forget it."

Link knew the girl, yes, she had always been a part of him, but he had no remembrance of her. "I do know you, even though your name still is a mystery to me…" She nodded and looked deeply into his eyes. He felt his soul stir under her gaze.

"Say, can I even find you?" She smiled, walked towards him and suddenly they merged into one another. Link looked around him. She had vanished, though, he felt her being very close; she was in his soul. Again Link surveyed his surroundings, recognized the wood as being the one he used to wander around in, identified the stream as well…

He startled up, lying inside his bed for once. Unhinged he looked at the clock, it was only a little past nine. He frantically dressed himself, completely regardless of the resulting pain. There was just this one desire: to go into the woods. The dream from a few minutes before, he could hardly recall, but someone or something commanded him to make haste for the forest. On tiptoes he snuck past Sara's room; she thought he was still asleep. At the very moment he wanted to step outside the front door, he saw his parent's car drive up, so he turned around and rushed to the back door. This sudden strength that welled up in him, even though he was seriously injured, was more than uncanny. Presumably this mysterious urge to go into the wood was what drove him in such a way. Fog was about to rise and night steadily crept over the city. Without a pause, Link raced into the woods.

It was pitch black, only a few scattered beams of light faintly shone through the treetops. "No, I won't turn back just because of this darkness." Link clenched his hands to fists. "Okay, whatever awaits me there, I will come through. Now I have to find out what the hell I'm doing here." Link had no way of knowing that, with uttering these sentences, he had signed a momentous pact.

Lead by this powerful feeling he couldn't describe or explain, he disappeared deeper and deeper into the forest. Something was waiting here, he could sense it. Suddenly he stepped into cold water. Ah, a stream must cross the way here, even if he couldn't see it. The low hoot of an owl reached his ears as he continued running. Steadily, doubt infested his determination. What the heck was he doing out here? He heard himself mutter.

Pointless. Absurd. Silly.

Damn, now even the already weak light from his torch darkened. Curse it! The one time he really had a task to fulfill, he was haunted by bad luck. Link continued sprinting for a few steps, then looked around him and suddenly discovered a small clearing. The fog seemed to recede from it, allowing the moon's gentle light to caress the grass. The trees all-round cast huge shadows…

Was this a dream, he asked himself. He couldn't fathom why he was here. For the first time he saw no sense in his actions. His wounds hurt a little. Only now, Link understood the reason why he was summoned here.

The whole time, he must have been entranced. His deep-blue eyes glowed in the darkness, as the moon revealed a human shape, lying face down in the water.

Like a maniac Link rushed up to her… just dived down to her and held the person in his arms. Was this real? Who was this girl? Even if Link barely saw in the nightly forest's blackness, it was clear that she desperately needed help. He searched for a pulse on her neck; hopefully the water had not entered her lungs. No, thank heavens, she breathed and her heart was beating. This was insane! Was she the one calling him to this place?

Unimportant, who she was or why she had lain there. Irrelevant, why Link had heard her cries for help. The only thing that mattered now was to aid her.

He lifted her up and carried her on his arms. Astonished, for she seemed to weigh close to nothing, and bewildered by his vast reserves of strength, Link left the woods and darted like a shadow through the night.

He stopped in front of his parent's house, carefully set the girl down and threw a well-aimed stone at Sara's window. She opened immediately. Aghast, she looked at her brother and then, getting her even more confused, she noticed the girl in his arms. "Sara, distract Mom and Dad, could you?"

"You idiot! Do you have any idea how worried I was about you?"

"Yeah, I get it. But this girl here needs help badly."

"Alright. But you'd better hurry!"

A few moments later Link stepped inside his room. Sara had fooled their parents perfectly, they had no clue that he now had a guest.

The girl in his arms was completely drenched, her skin was deathly-cold and she looked wrecked. Still, the very moment he stepped into the light of his room, he was downright overwhelmed by her beauty.

A pretty, slender face, without any flaws and completely spotless, crowned by a perfect nose and refined by full, red lips, a shapely chin and a tender forehead. Her slim, immaculately proportioned body seemed almost fragile in Link's eyes, and was clad in a long, wine-red dress, ornate with fine, golden patterns. Long, sleeves, but a rather inviting cleavage. It fit very tightly, so every last feature of her graceful body could be marveled.

He gingerly placed her down on his bed and took off her red sandals. She didn't even wear socks, thus her dainty feet were cold as ice. Link quickly put a blanket over her. A few seconds passed in which Link found himself utterly unable to avert his eyes from this mesmerizing being. There was something… she made him remember things he seemed to have forgotten. But what things?

And another thing that drove him crazy with questions: The fact, that he was suddenly worried out of his mind about her. He cared so selflessly about someone, he did not know, he genuinely feared for her life, although he had only found her a few minutes ago by accident. Or, maybe fortuity had had no say in this… hadn't it been destiny, perhaps?

He jumped at the little oil-furnace and heated it up maximally. Then he faced a seemingly insurmountable problem. Her clothes were completely soggy. She had to be freed of her dress, before she caught her death of cold. He sat down at the edge of his bed, distracted by an unexplainable desire to just embrace her, bewitched by this wonderful face of hers. He only wanted to see this face smile, for it had to be an enchanting experience.

Gently, he brushed the wet, golden strands of hair from her visage, when his gaze fell on her right hand. She clasped something in it. Carefully, Link tried open her clenched hand and retrieve the object. She moaned faintly, shook her head in her sleep and then lay quiet once again. Link tried it once more and succeeded. Amazed he examined the piece of jewelry he just acquired. It resembled a richly adorned and gemmed tiara. Link looked at it carefully, gently touching the ornaments, but then put it on the bedside table.

What did the jewel matter right now? She was so much more important to him… she seemed so intimate to him… and since her voice had called him to her, he was now responsible for her.

He bent over her a little, only wanting to know of she breathed regularly. Maybe it would be a good idea to call a doctor?

But what would Link tell him? "Help this girl please, I found her in the forest, because she called me…" What nonsense!

Link quickly discarded the thought. Apart from the difficulties of explaining how he came to find her, Link didn't know her name. She had nothing with her, neither ID, nor any other document and especially no insurance-card. Moreover, his sixth sense strongly told him that it would be wrong letting anybody know about her existence.

She breathed only a few times per minute, but very periodically, which Link interpreted as a good sign. She eventually turned on her right side, making it impossible for Link to see her face. She started shivering. Link's mind once again was on high alert. Damn, he thought, I really gotta help her out of this wet outfit.

Only a few seconds passed, before Sara fortunately entered his room. She cast strange glances at him, but most importantly, the girl was safe now.

"Link, now would you please tell me what happened?" Without ever letting the unknown beauty out of his sight, he told her the whole story.

Sara just found all of that egregious. First Link was chastised with these grave injuries and now all this business with this girl, allegedly calling his name… Slowly but steadily Sara knew she would soon go crazy with stuff like this happening. She was used to all kinds of strange occurrences revolving around Link, but this surpassed everything by far.

"Well then, what are we going to tell Mom and Dad, when they notice her presence?" Sara wrinkled her forehead.

"I know." she said. "We just say she's your girlfriend."

Link's face turned crimson. "But Sara," Link sounded very sheepish. "You can't simply announce something like that…"

Sara took him a little aside: "Other topic: Doesn't her appearance strike you as odd?" "What should be odd about it, she's just pretty."

"Oh yeah, wonderful in every thinkable aspect, am I right? Blonde hair, certainly she has blue eyes, lips that seem to yearn to be kissed and the only thing you say is 'she's just pretty'…"

"Oh, come on, Sara, don't get so upset about this."

"Don't get upset he tells me! Now listen to me for one time, please. You know it better than me that something is massively wrong here. This girl is everything but usual, even if you apparently like to see her that way.

"But I just wanted to help her. Should I have left her lying in the water? Should I have abandoned her to drown?"

"Of course not, but…"

Link agitatedly waved his hands about in the air. "Of course not, but she has no place in this house. Is that what you'd like to say?" He gradually got furious at his little sister.

"Sorry, Link, but somehow her appearance here scares me. I don't know how to describe, but with today, I feel that something has changed…" Link thought about it, then eventually nodded and looked back at the stranger in his bed.

Indeed… It was the time for shifts and changes in Link's life. The time to understand his destiny and his purpose anew had come. It had been inevitable to find this mysterious being, essential for both good and evil that he got to know her.

"And what about her looks is it that you find so peculiar?" Link couldn't help asking testily.

"It's okay. It was just a thought…" Sara cast a quick glance at the Gamecube in the middle of Link's room.

He turned around and mumbled: "Anyway… she is totally hypothermic… I'd say, you give her some of your clothes… they could fit okay. I mean, she… she's completely drenched… and then, you know…" Link got more nervous by the second, probably about the thought that somebody had to undress this graceful being.

But why? Why the hell did it affect him so badly?

Sara chuckled almost pervertedly, before she broke into roaring laughter. "Haha… now you're completely and utterly lost, aren't you… haha…"

Link's face turned into a frown and facing this humiliation from his sister, he clenched his fist menacingly.

"Link, I was just kidding you."

"Yeah yeah, only kidding. This situation is decidedly not funny, though. This girl needs warm clothes at once, her whole body must warm up." Sara nodded, Link was right, of course.

"Okay then, my dear brother. You run into the bathroom and get me a few towels and a bowl with hot water. Then we'll free her from the dress and dry her, no matter how much you blush."

"Got it, on my way." and he already sprinted out of his room, following her instructions.

He looked at the white, round clock hanging in the bathroom, while he filled a big metal bowl with warm water. Just after midnight… And somehow, Link had a feeling that for him there will be even less sleep than the night before. He yawned, and gingerly lay one hand on his wounded belly. A few sharp stings of pain reminded him once again of the occurrence a few hours ago… he needed quiet and sleep, though. But Link would certainly not close even one eye, until he was sure that this girl was not only beyond danger, but also well. Once full, he grabbed the bowl, which now raised steam, threw a few bathing towels over his shoulder and rushed back into his room. Cozy warmth was radiated at him, when he closed the door. The stove had achieved it's purpose.

Carefully, Link placed the bowl down on his bedside table, unconsciously knocking the precious jewel back behind it. With a little clatter neither Link nor Sara attached importance to, the tiara dropped between the table and the wall.

Again Sara called the shots.

"Now, my dear brother, you'll help me to sit this pretty being up, so that I can open the zip of this costly dress on her back." Link did as told. He sat down on the edge of his bed and pulled the girl towards him on her arms. He held her in his arms delicately while Sara fumbled around with the red zip. Shyly he studied the wooden planks of his attic room, hoping imploringly, Sara would hurry up already.

Only a few seconds passed and Sara had freed the girl's tender upper body from the garment. The young lady was still leaned against Link, who dared not avert his gaze from the wall. He was a true gentleman and didn't peek, he neither saw the cream-colored corset that covered very little of her body, nor the conspicuous birthmark in the shape of a triangle just below her breast. But Sara wasn't done yet, the corset had to be removed as well.

"Okay, Link, now is the time were you courteously close your eyes."

Of course he did it right away. "And don't only act as if they're shut." shot at him. "Or I'm going to tell her when she wakes up." He knew better than doing so. It was definitely not his intention to let the first impression be a bad or ignorant one… even though that's what most people tend to think when meeting him the first time. Sara unknot the corset and wrapped the young lady in a big towel.

"Done, you can open your eyes now, Link. You really were a good boy. I wouldn't have trusted you to be" Sara chirped grinning.

"You generally don't give me a lot of credit."

"And maybe it's better this way, my dear brother." she retorted and laughed. Link, too, finally managed to have a genuinely laugh, something he hadn't had in a absurdly long time.

"Hey, what was that? You really can still laugh, Link!" He eschewed Sara's look, who began to understand the origin of this unusually cheerful mood he had all of a sudden. This girl was the answer, her appearance alone had given Link back his ability to laugh.

"I wonder, why won't she finally wake up? Maybe we should reconsider calling a doctor, or at least inform mom and dad." Sara suggested, just about to bind the graceful girl's hair together. Link thought about it, reflecting about the situation, finding only the latter idea to be wise. He still felt uneasy thinking about calling a doctor and having to give impossible answers to his questions. And what if he decided to call an ambulance immediately that took her away? What if she ended up somewhere unreachable and she didn't even know where or why? No, apart from his parents no one must be aware of her existence…

He shook his head. "I'm afraid I can't give you any proper reason, but I think it's better not to involve a doctor."

"Come on! Are you nuts? What if this girl is seriously ill and desperately needs medication?"

Link lay his hand on the girl's forehead and mumbled: "Please believe me, but I know that she is well."

Sara's turn to shake her head. "You are mental. Sorry but today you really are."

"Damn it, Sara." Link started. His voice got loud and forceful. "You do not understand this. She has called me, not a doctor. If the faith you have in me is that minute, just go ahead and call whomever you like, better starting with the police. But I can promise you one thing: Before anyone arrives, I'm long gone, along with her. End of story!" Link jumped up and bellowed: "Stop acting all-knowing and important already, will you? She is in danger. She's just…"

Hushed Sara dropped her gaze, a little sad that Link could snap at her to vigorously. "I see… I just hope you're right…"

Link too lowered his head. With a reflective expression he uttered: "I didn't want to treat you like that. Sorry."

Sara nodded, but didn't look in her brother's eyes. Instead, she took the rest of the clothes of the girl and rubbed her drenched legs and back dry with soft towels.

Shrouded in bathing-towels she now lay peacefully on Link's bed and again, she looked ever so fragile in the young man's eyes.

He sat down on the mattress and watched her closed eyes. They were moving fast; she was dreaming…

"Sara, can you see that… she's dreaming."

"Yeah, maybe about you, you womanizer." she said teasingly. Link stopped himself from cursing her and replied: "It shall be the first thing I ask once she is awake."

"Yes, but don't expect too much. Could be her character is exactly like her appearance. Conceited. Unapproachable and obstinate."

"You don't know that."

"But neither do you. What is it you want from her? Be glad, if somebody comes for her. At least then we'll be rid of her."

Dismayed, Link stared at the gray-blue eyes of his little sister. "I can't believe how heartless you are at the moment."

"And I can't understand why you're so stupid, naïve and amiable."

"Still, it's better than being an unfeeling monster. Sara, please. Can't we end this pointless discussion already?"

"These discussions aren't pointless. You can't just let this girl live here with us."

"I can't remember saying anything like that. When she awakes, she'll surely know what to do."

"When she awakes? What if she's in coma?"

"And you accuse me of being out of my mind. You're the one who's nuts, Sara." Offended, Sara stormed out and slammed the door. "Idiot!" it sounded from behind it.

Link shook his head. Who had started all this trouble? Not him, that's for sure!

More than once, Link had had such quarrels about such petty things with his little sister. They were siblings after all, so such arguments were all but uncommon. Sara would cool down eventually, because she too had to feel, that Link was more than right about his decision. In the end, she had always been convinced of his ideas, of his point of view. And it would be the same now… once this girl cast up her eyes. Still, it's worrisome that she simply refused to wake up. Something terrible must have occurred to her. What normal girl lay face down in a stream in the middle of the night in the forest? As if she wanted to conceal it, not willing to admit her identity. That's exactly how Link felt about this being… refusing to show her true self to anyone.

Pensive, Link went to a clothes hamper and pulled a bulky blanket out of it. He attentively placed it over her unconscious body, a frame that told him so many stories, even though he was positive he didn't know her.

He looked into this pale, yet lovely face, secretly asking himself, why he was so troubled and worried again. Was it his natural compassion, his willingness to help and his empathy for the people in his surrounding? Or maybe, because her sight gently touched something, something that had yet to awake in his heart?

She mumbled unintelligibly and snapped her head from one side to the other twice. Link felt, she was having a nightmare. Something had happened to her. Despair, as well as fear seemed to enshroud her mind. He took her pale, right hand in his two and could feel her squeeze a little, as if she was going to say "Thank you".

He started to smile. An honest, true smile. Another sight that had not been seen on him for the last weeks or even months. He never had had any genuine reason to. But now, since she was here… he felt, as if a beam of hopeful light warmed his cold, troubled, young soul.

He smiled, and it was a pleasant sensation.

Sara came back and saw the calm, heartwarming expression on Link's face, which decidedly changed her mind. This girl, solely through her presence, had melted an iceberg…

"Link?"

"Got more arguments against her staying?" he said dryly, gently loosening his hand from hers, although her fingers had cramped around his.

"No… I wanted to tell you that I'm sorry. I shouldn't have doubted your decisions.

"So you agree to let her stay for now?"

"Yes." Sara said, concisely.

"Thank you, sis." Sara, now a lot more calm and composed, left the room, announcing: "I'll get her a few heat packs."

"Thanks again!" Link said, sitting down beside her once again. Sara remained standing in the doorframe briefly, without her brother noticing. His face showed deepest grief; he whispered: "I'm so sorry… I am… so… sorry." Link currently didn't seem to be in his right mind. His eyes squinted for a second, and then closed.

Sara finally left, let the door click shut and leaned against it. She couldn't understand what was going on, did no longer comprehend the world around her. "Link" she sighed, foreseeing that soon he would no longer be the likable young man, her brother. It were more than mere worries about this girl. His expression, his eyes had completely changed. It now contained so much sentiment and warmth, so much care and sympathy. When Sara came back, he still sat at her side, just looking at her.

"Link" Sara spoke. He got startled a little, as if he had been somewhere completely different and had only now found back to his consciousness.

"I… I know it sounds crazy… but I know her…" Sara gaped, flabbergasted. But she had actually been expecting to hear something like that.

"Well then, Link, it's late, and even though weekend starts tomorrow, I'm dog-tired."

Link agreed. It had been a long day, saturated with the craziest happenings that had cost him all his strength. After a little sigh he yawned, holding his hand in front of his mouth. Sara had left already.

He felt a mild desire to hold the girls hand… not because he felt somewhat drawn to her, but because…

Again the young beauty started trembling. Gently, Link placed his hand on her forehead, astonished by the soft, velvety sensation of her skin. No, there was no fever, but maybe something else? Was it fear?

"Hey…" he whispered, in an attempt to finally rouse her from her slumber. "Can you hear me?" he asked, a little louder than before. He touched her delicate pink cheek and almost against his will stroked her smooth skin with his fingertips. She sighed something, a word, however not comprehensible for Link.

"Please wake up…" he mumbled, wishing he could be bold enough to just take her into his arms. He was magically attracted to her and it slowly drove him crazy.

To distract himself, Link stepped in front of his window, watching the nightly scenery. Lone drops of rain fell from the dark sky. He was exhausted and felt the weight of his eyelids become increasingly heavy. Additionally, his injury made itself felt once again. The burning got stronger and relieved the relatively harmless sore feeling from before. A few moments ago he had spent a single thought for his wounds, for there had been things far more important. A wonderful being lay in his bed, someone he felt he had missed, someone with an unmatchable aura… But now lesions started hurting more fiercely again. Everything went black in front of his eyes. He dragged his battered body into the kitchen, heavily trying to support himself, toilsomely reaching for the light-switch. He missed it and collapsed in pure darkness.

For more than half an hour Link lay in said room, surrounded by dark. He slowly opened his eyes. He saw light, but could not make out its origin. Gentle little angels of light danced about the kitchen, which seemed to no longer contained any objects. The whole furnishing had vanished.

Link tried to rise, but he found it impossible. He had no strength; everything was so heavy… his arms and legs gone numb… A breeze blew through the now brightly lit room.

He turned his head towards the direction the draft seemed to arise from and saw a gateway, where normally the fridge would have stood. Light curtains flew in the wind, which appeared to be from a place that led to a faraway paradise. A new beam of light, like those rays, that delightfully fell through the morning mist in the forest. It blinded Link, but his gaze remained unwavering, and then…

Angelically, a pure being manifested in the light and stepped through the gateway. Link's eyes closed, only to be reopened anew. The being gleamed in this light, that grazed so warm and tender, like the invisible warmth of fire.

She paced towards him, knelt down and smiled softly. A gesture of condolence, stunning the shadows in Link's heart. Attentively, she placed one hand on the wound on his abdomen, healing with her mere touch, delivering him from part of his anguish.

Link looked into the angel's face, recognized her beautiful face and took her hand into his. She yanked him back up on his feet in one swift movement. Link remained rooted to the spot, starting to feel his strength returning to him. He gazed at the mystifying being, yearning for her to reveal her identity.

"Wait…" he called after her.

As the dancing sparks of light died down, Link was certain that the angel before his eyes was the very same girl that had not yet regained consciousness in his room.

"Don't return through that gateway again." Link pleaded lowly, trying to establish eye-contact, longing to marvel these sky-blue eyes once again. He walked towards her.

"I can't…" she mumbled, still not facing him but the portal.

"Why not?... the world I live in has many wonders for you to set eyes upon, and many pleasantness to offer you."

"And what can I expect of yours, the other world?"

"Hope… trust… friendship…" Link muttered, not sure, whether he actually loved the world he lived, and if the things he mentioned really existed for him here."

She remained standing, almost motionless, as Link made his way towards her. But he could run as fast and as long as he could, he would not be able to reach her.

"Please stay." Link asked lowly. An honest plea, born from the desire for company and friendship.

"Is this truly your wish, Link? Will you show me hope? Will you be able to trust me and be my friend?"

"I will be to you whatever you wish for, and will assist you to understand whatever it might by you seek to conceive. But, I beg of you, don't return to a place of emptiness…" She floated towards him, when slowly the light that had engulfed her faded, and her figure became alive and her body human. She fell into his embrace, kept her arms firmly around his shoulders, seeking shelter and warmth, which Link was willing to give.

A smile from two slightly sad faces…

"Call me Zelda…" she said, before Link dazedly opened his eyes.

To his astonishment, he really was standing and the light in the kitchen was turned on. A little distraught, his mind raced with his mouth was half open. What had that been? A dream… no, definitely no dream.

Gingerly, he felt the skin on his belly, knowing that the wounds had not miraculously vanished, but they smarted considerably less than in the past few hours. Slowly, the glowing pain retreated…

The memories of the just experienced vision gradually sank into deeper spheres of his mind, but were not forgotten. Link couldn't forget… this girl, her aura, her voice… her name…

All of a sudden, his mother entered the kitchen, eyeing her son sullenly, because of the advanced hour.

"Do you know how late it is? What are you doing here at a time like this?"

Link took a quick look at his watch and his eyes widened to a startled expression. It was past four already. Where had the blasted time gone to? Had he slept that long?

"Erm… I was just thirsty."

"Oh, I see. That's why you're still wearing jeans and your T-shirt." She eyed him very exactly. "You could at least inform your poor mother when you go out in the evening." Go out?

"But I didn't…" She interrupted: "Sara told me, you had something to take care of. When your father and I returned home, you weren't here after all.

"Oh, well…" Sara really excelled herself in terms of imaginativeness and cunning. Link would congratulate and thank her later…

"Could I at least hear what on earth you were up to tonight?" Link's eyes wandered towards the ceiling, hoping the desperately needed answer would be written there.

"Erm…" he stuttered.

"Another adventure with the opposite sex?" she asked. Actually, she couldn't be more right. And the poor, good-looking, future hero had a few dicey stories behind him, that revolved around the subject 'girls'.

"Mom, give me a break."

She grinned and chirped curiously: "But you can always tell your mom."

Link's cheeks blushed a little out of anger and embarrassment: "It's not what you think, mom." He answered, annoyed.

"And I thought you'd finally introduce somebody." she retorted boldly.

"Mom, enough already." She laughed out loudly and her mouth and the dimples around joyously widened. She walked towards the window and closed it, for a cool breeze blew into the house. After a short pause she said: "But now it's bedtime for you. Got it? You've got quite the rings under your eyes…"

Link nodded and hastened up the stairs towards his room, pondering, how by the holy Deku he could tell his mother about the girl that was still slumbered in his bed.

He entered the in darkness enshrouded room, and crossed it until he stood right in front of the bed. Like before, the unique being slept deeply, still in the same position as when he left her side.

He fumbled for the light switch of a tiny lava lamp, standing on his desk, when he suddenly remembered the tiara. He bent over the bedside table and saw the precious piece in a corner, he could only hope to reach, if he climbed halfway over the bed. "Okay" he told himself.

Carefully he supported himself on the soft mattress, directly besides the pretty face of the young lady. It was not easy keeping balance… only with difficulty his arms reached behind the cupboard and grabbed the jewel.

Just as he attempted to stand back up, he lost his hold and crashed onto the mattress, right beside the slumbering, gracious girl's body.

It squeaked loudly. She didn't open her eyes though, only mumbled something and turned towards the wall. Once again Link felt very dumb, so awkward and clumsy. The tiara had landed in a gap again and wasn't worth another thought.

Link forgot about the stupid piece of jewelry and pushed a big comfy chair at the side of the bed, leaned back in it and made himself comfortable in the true meaning of the word. He took off his shoes, lay his head on the armrest and let his legs dangle down on the other side. He was past the great exhaustion, but a bit more sleeping would surely do him good. A few minutes later he had fallen asleep in the chair.

It was well after five o'clock, when the strange sixteen or seventeen year old person finally opened her eyes. She had dreamt about something crucial…

Hadn't she been at a different place only moments ago? She didn't know where however.

She sat up, her head aching hellishly. Thanks to the faint shine of the lamp, she could take a look at the room, she presently occupied: A big, comfortable room, colored in green and, above all, brown shades. One desk, two cupboards, one couch…

Then, her gaze passed the person, who guarded her sleeping place. Oh? Who was the young man? He was asleep. She watched him for a little while, and couldn't fathom, why she found it so dear of him, to stand guard for her slumber at her side, couldn't understand, why the way he was sleeping, slumped inside the chair, cast a smile on her face.

Trembling, she raised a hand at her temple.

"My head…" he murmured. Anew, she examined the room and found every little detail both adorable and peculiar. She supported her head with the other hand as well, in the attempt to comprehend.

Something was not right… there was nothing in her thoughts, no picture, no people, no memories. Everything was so blurred… so empty.

Bewildered, her eyes sprang from one corner of the chamber to the other. She wanted to understand, recognize, remember... But nothing was all she found. Only ignorance. And nothingness. With every passing second, she got more nervous, her pulse racing with helplessness and tension.

The girl could not recall what happened, did not know, where, who, or what she was. Confused, "Where, by the gods, am I?" escaped her tongue. When she wanted to stand up, she noticed the lack of clothing around her body. With a fright she huddled back under the blankets. Her gaze wandered back to the young man at the side of the bed. Again, she studied him for a minute or two, realizing, that there was something…

A familiar, trusted and pleasant feeling soothed her, just by looking at his face.

He then sighed softly in sleep and squinted. Link yawned and lastly opened his eyes completely. He was looking directly into her countenance and was happy to have been proved right – these eyes verily were wonderfully blue.

The looked at each other for a long time, almost as if they knew each other, as if they had been forced to forget for the longest time, because it was fate's will.

She recoiled a little, when reality forced itself upon them again. She leaned back at the wall.

"Where am I?" and Link recognized her voice, this sound from so many dreams of his. Was she, truly the one?

"You are in the Bravery's house." She frowned and looked fearfully in his eyes.

Link started: "In…" He understood; she was utterly confused, the diffidence in her eyes betrayed her. "You are safe here. You… don't have to fear me."

At first she showed no signs that she believed him in the slightest, but spoke again, anxious to remain calm. "Please, sir, have the kindness to tell me where this place is, you reside in."

Link was baffled upon hearing, how she had addressed him. "I told you already." he replied brusquely.

"I wanted to know…"

"…in which city? Well then: in Destinykeep."

When she showed a dismayed face, he added: "Doesn't ring a bell? We're on earth."

Instead of an "Aha", which Link had anticipated, her trembling hand went up to hold her head and she looked, as if she had seen a ghost.

"Do you want to know the date as well? It's the 21 century."

Link had expected at least a little word of appreciation, but now he wanted to scold himself for his own words. Maybe he shouldn't have interfered into… whatever this whole business really was.

He was about to stand up and just leave, when the girl held him back on his hand. Surprised, he faced her again and sat back down.

"I do not know, what incident brought me into your home, but I thank you, kind sir."

This voice… could it really be? A smile snuck across Link's face. "Why don't we stick with a simple 'you', and leave the 'sir' alone?"

Not until now had Link noticed the deep sadness in her eyes, which seemed to be veiled by an enigmatic shadow. A very odd layer of darkness, attempting to obscure something behind her eyes, right in her soul.

She still clutched his hand… a sensation most familiar to him. Why was it that, though?

Link took a deep breath and said more calmly and sensitively than before: "I have found you deep in the woods a few hours ago. You lay face down in a stream of water. I couldn't just abandon you lying there, of course, so took you with me and carried you to this place. Your dress and other belongings hang over there at the stove."

She blushed heavily. "Don't worry. My little sister undressed you. Your body was already frozen stiff…" All of a sudden the picture of her, lying so completely helpless in the creek, flashed up in his memory.

"By the way, who are you anyway?" Her eyes turned bleary and she looked away, while her hand daintily enfolded the pendent around her neck.

"I do… not…know." She could not remember anything at all, neither her name, nor any incidence that led to her current situation, nor the smallest memory of her life before that. Link now understood the desperate crunch the girl experienced presently. He believed her; why he did and to what cause was unimportant for now.

"I have only just regained consciousness and as I was trying to remember, there… it was all gone… it…"

Link looked into her eyes for a little while. Never before had he seen such a clear cerulean color. He couldn't help but smile softly and reassuringly.

He thought it wisest to confront her with the facts immediately. "It appears, that you have lost your memory. I am sorry to have to tell you that, but for now you must try to accept it… My name is Link." He extended his hand. "Hey, we'll find out who you are in no time, all right? Don't you worry too much." She nodded and looked him in his eyes thoughtfully. For the first time, there was a noticeable trace of a smile in her face. She took his hand.

A handshake.

A first touch.

A first smile.

And he was suddenly aware that he would do anything for this girl.

Only now he studied him closely, saw his deep-blue, serious eyes, the blond strands of hair, hanging into his face…

"Link it is, then."

"Yep."

"I wouldn't want to cause inconveniences for you or your family… I will be gone at once."

"And where would you go? With that outfit you'll attract trouble faster than you think. For now, I think, you can stay, of course only, if you have no other solution." She let herself sink back onto the bed.

All of a sudden, Link's wounds made their presence felt anew. He felt drops of sweat forming on his forehead as the pain flared up once again. All that time he had managed to suppress it, but now…

His breath got more laborious. His field of vision narrowed quickly. He now truly was feverish.

"But…" she started and could hardly comprehend the unimaginable trust and kindness he showed her. But the streak of suspicion instantly dissipated upon a look into his eyes. She liked this inescapable color of them, their depth, as if he could reach every last thought of his opposite with but one glance.

Link touched his forehead; it was positively glowing. I really shouldn't have taken these injuries so lightly, he told himself.

"You mean it? I can stay?"

"Only if you stop worrying about inconveniencing anybody that much. Or else I will carry you out of here myself, got it?" Link bared his most charming smile and glanced at the clock.

"It's early in the morning. I'll be right back, then I will explain a few more things." he said and left the room to take another look at his unusual wounds in the bathroom.

The strange girl remained seated for a little while longer. She then noticed the clothes that lay beside the bed. It was a tight red pullover out of thin fabric and also pale blue jeans. Sara didn't particularly like these pieces, they weren't her style, not her colors and also a little too tight.

So, she had placed them here while the young lady and Link had slept, assuming they could fit her. The girl understood and tried them on. They were a perfect fit. The pullover looked superb on her and enhanced her graceful, feminine physique.

Outside it was dark still. In the light of the lamp she walked to the desk, where a black book lay right in the center. For unexplainable reasons she was ever so excited, as she read the golden letters on it: "The Legend of Zelda – Ocarina of Time"

Gotten curious, she browsed in it, eventually found a picture that took the whole page and examined the people on it closely. On the left a castle, noble enough for a king towered up. On the right a dark and dangerous fortress dominated the land. In the middle, surrounded by purest light, there was a green-capped youth, one time as an adult with a sword in his hand, the other time as a child, playing an ocarina. Yes, she knew that instrument, yes… she was certain, she had played on it more than once. The book looked quite worn, as if it had been read hundreds of times.

Link stepped back into his room, freshly dressed with kempt hair and two cups of tea in his hands. The painkillers apparently did their job now, for he was almost free from pain. A little bashful he looked at the girl, attempting to find appropriate words for her beauty. A goddess, it spontaneously occurred to him… yes, like a goddess.

She was currently standing at his desk, her back turned towards him. She was smaller than Link by about one head. Her long, golden hair was now falling freely and was almost reaching her hip. Links gaze immediately wandered down to her long, slender legs and found that jeans suited her much better and emphasized her body much more than a long dress, where her legs were completely hidden. And what legs she had… It was a shame to cover them. A real waste of beauty and elegance, Link thought. This girl really didn't need to hide any of her body parts…

He hesitated, but then said: "You really look good in these… erm, interesting book, isn't it?" She turned around, surprised, but not disgruntled that he had intruded in her pondering.

"Did I give you a scare?" She shook her head and gave him an almost smiling expression on her noble face.

"Who is this girl on that graphic?"

"You mean the lady with the tiara?"

"Yes, she has such a composed look on her face."

"That is… princess Zelda."

"Aha." A strong intuition crept over her.

And Link too understood, what Sara had apprehended from the very start. This girl had an uncanny resemblance to a game-character… uncanny indeed…

"She looks like you – strange, huh?"

"Yes."

"And you really can't remember anything?"

"No." Link wanted to engage her in conversation, but she was noticeably irritated and answered indifferently: "This is not me… she is just a game character."

"I never claimed it to be otherwise, but the likeness really is remarkable." She didn't deign to look at him.

"Okay, maybe you were on some kind of party, and people had to come dressed." Link knew he talked complete nonsense, but these stupid ideas were typical for him.

"Would it be so shameful, being a princess?"

"No, it would be shameful to be a game character."

"Be that as it may… we have to give you a name at one point, right?" Link said, handing her the cup.

She thanked him and took a sip, then answered: "True, maybe, but it would not be my real name." She placed the cup on the desk and gingerly touched her aching head. What was happening to her? She felt so odd, so alien, especially about herself. She faltered a little, again holding her head. The pain hammered so terribly…

Immediately, a strong hand on her arm kept her from falling over. "Careful. You better sit down again." Link said. She nodded and let herself sink down on the bed again.

"Thanks for your help. Are you always that friendly?"

"By and large, yeah." he replied, sitting down beside her. "What are you planning to do, now that you're here?"

She shrugged and the sad, lost expression on her face did not bode well. There shouldn't be a frown… a smile should grace this wonderful face with porcelain skin.

"Everything here is so disconcerting. Perhaps I should still leave." She sighed and looked out of the window. A foggy darkness, equal to a heavy shroud, obfuscated the night beyond regular. Link's face turned into a frown now. He wanted her to stay. For reasons unknown he desired her presence, though he still didn't know her name, nor her soul.

"I can not keep you from going." a comforting and caring voice said. She liked its sound, its profound ring to it.

"No, you can not…"

After a while Link got up, after there gazes once again rested in each other's eyes for minutes. She wouldn't linger here. How could he have hoped, this girl had any reason to welcome his presence as much as he did.

This oppressive situation… so unbelievably familiar.

Memories of rejection and yearning…

She too stood up and walked up closely behind him.

"I would like it very much to stay…" she whispered. Surprised, Link turned around to face her. "Really?" he asked, relieved beyond measure and delighted to the core, almost as if his very life depended on her presence.

"Yes, if I don't get on your nerves, Link."

"I'd probably enjoy it if you get on them…" he said with a touch of subtlety. She smiled calmingly. She carefully took her cup back and had another sip. "Actually, what am I drinking?"

"Cherry tea with vanilla. Why?"

"I have the feeling as if I have never before tasted something like it… anyway, not important."

"It's not unimportant. Maybe it helps you remembering."

"Mmh… I can hope…"

She walked to the window and stared out, lost in her thoughts, watched the finally rising, red morning sun. A warm shine grazed over the many rooftops of Destinykeep and over the small tarred streets. This also seemed alien to her, as if she had never seen streets of that sort, as if she called a centuries past time her home.

"You said, you found me in the woods…"

"Yes, in a small stream. That's why you were so chilled to the bones…" he said slowly and silently and suppressed the rising pain in his stomach.

"I wonder how I ended up lying there." She mumbled and turned towards him. With piercing pain in her head she sat down again and touched her temple with her right hand.

"Intriguing question." He murmured. "It won't take long and you will remember. Don't be disheartened." he added. She looked directly into his deep-blue eyes, tried to look away, but his gaze was just too attracting. For some reason he knelt in front of her and looked up to her eyes.

"Why are you doing all this for me? I mean, why do you help me in so many ways?"

"Well, I guess I'm kind of responsible for you. After all, it was me who found you." She nodded and nearly lost herself in the irresistible glowing of his eyes. "Does your head hurt?"

"A little, yes."

"How about an aspirin?"

"A what?" she asked artlessly. Link flinched a little upon hearing her question. Approaching surreptitiously, a peculiar notion crept into his mind.

This girl had never heard of many things that were absolutely common in his modern world; she, for example, did honestly not know what an aspirin was. Apparently, besides all her future efforts to regain her memory, she would have to learn to live modern people's lives as well. She avoided his gaze and looked ashamedly away. "Do you think me dumb for not understanding all those things?"

Link shook his head in a reassuring way. "No. To be honest, I think you are everything but dumb…"

"Like what?"

"Erm…" Link stuttered. "… unique."

Yeah, that would describe her best.

He jumped up from his almost chivalrous kneeling in front of her and quickly got a box of aspirins out of the glass cupboard. She studied the tablets, as if she had never before seen an object such as this; there was even a very faint suggestion of suspicion in her eyes.

"Hey you really can trust me. It's going to help you." She nodded and swallowed it without further ado. A short pause ensued.

"This town is called Destinykeep, you said?" again she tried to have eye contact with him.

"Yep."

"And this house? Do you live here alone, or…" Link burst out laughing almost screechy. What a thought that was.

"Heaven's sake, no, you got a vivid imagination. Maybe I don't look it, but I'm only seventeen, and…" - He sat back down on the chair on front of his bed and let his feet dangle – "… in this house I am constantly delighted with my parent's and sister's company. Those clothes you got came from her, by the way."

"Oh, I really want to thank her for those…"

"Do that…" Link said smiling "…once she's woken up. It's still early in the morning and before ten you couldn't pry them out of bed with a crowbar on weekends. You'll have to be a little patient.

She played around with her necklace, a pretty, little ornate pendant was attached to it. Link took a closer look and thought it had great resemblance to an old knight's crest. Some kind of falcon or eagle was illustrated on it, and small emeralds adorned it.

"Admittedly, my parent's don't already know about…" He didn't finish the sentence. An insecure feeling imposed on him – what would his next action be, if his mom and dad decided to boot the girl out of their house as soon as they learned about her?

Maybe she would be allowed to stay, or possibly they initiated proceedings to keep her as far from him as possible straightforwardly. A thought that unsettled him a lot. But why? Why did it afflict him so badly, to merely think about her taking her leave? Who the heck was she? A soul mate?

"Your parents are going to send me away, aren't they?" A sad and anxious expression in the already sorrow burdened eyes gave Link's soul a stab. An unbearable pressure built up on his inside. Just as she had felt a little better, not so lost any more, no longer as helpless as in the beginning. And she knew, that the presence of this one selfless person could help her weather things she dreaded to remember…

Her voice became very shaky as she continued speaking. "I do not know… where I could go… Link." She dug her fingers into the blanket. She suppressed with all force the urge to cry in despair and fought with herself and the indignity.

"I beg you, please, let me stay here. It's incomprehensible, how I can dare to ask you for this… and even more incomprehensible, why I place so much trust into you... but…"

Link shook his head and interrupted her. Then, a smile showed itself on his face, a reassuring gesture of a caring being.

"If you want to stay, you will. I won't allow anyone to order you off this house, okay?" She placed one hand on his left.

"Thank you…" she whispered, smiling.

Then, this crucial moment was interrupted by different noises. A stomach rumbling, but astonishingly enough, not from Link, who admittedly was quite a cormorant. The young lady blushed a little and then looked away in shame.

"I presume you are hungry." Link said suavely, with a grin on his face that couldn't have looked sillier. He helped her on her feet and told her to follow him.

"I hope you eat veggie soup."

"Well… I think." she answered. But politely enough, she wasn't picky.

"That's what we had yesterday. There's a little something left. And as far as I know, my mother didn't go to the grocery. Starting next week we have our school vacations and my parents wanted to go on a holiday. So, I am certain that they won't have anything against me having a guest or not." That sounded reassuring and decidedly encouraging. She didn't want to inconvenience these people more than necessary.

She followed Link down the stairs, trying to make as little noise as humanly possible, and walked barefoot on the cold wood.

Should she trouble Link again for something? No, for some reason she felt uneasy asking for any more he had already done for her. It required quite a bit of courage to beg someone you have never met before, especially someone who is of the same age, for his permission to stay. The fact that she found Link rather handsome didn't help either…

Surprisingly he turned around and looked at her feet. "Aren't your feet freezing?"

"A little…" she said silently.

"Why don't you tell me, then?" Link asked and opened a shoe cabinet in the corridor.

"What size do you have?" She only shrugged and sighed "I'm afraid I don't know." Link should have known that. He started to understand the girl, or hadn't he already a lifetime ago?

After the two had chosen a pair of slippers for the young beauty, they walked to the kitchen without further delay.

Link put a little pot with the soup on the electric stove and told his guest to make herself comfortable on the corner bench, to which she complied at once.

Only a little later the young lady was eating soup with a plain spoon, enjoying the feeling of having something warm in the stomach. Link watched her the whole time. Everybody would have observed her like this; she ate with such grace and elegance that Link couldn't help but wonder, if she really was a being from earth.

She handled the spoon carefully, attaching great importance on her manners. For others she may have appeared a little conceited.

Link asked himself, what family and friends thought of her, people who were with her all the time. What did her parents think, if she still had parents? Did they of a higher class? Maybe this elf-like face was even of royal birth? It surely wouldn't surprise him.

He sat down at the table with her and smiled, when she asked for a second help of stew.

"You sure are hungry, huh?" She nodded.

"So why do you insist on your manners to such an extent? You're free to wolf it down as fast as you wish." Her mouth showed a timid smile. She still ate well-behaved.

After some time Link tried to start a conversation once again and started: "When I found you, I feared…" There it was again. This crushing feeling of concern for her well-being, as if he knew her and cared for her from the bottom of his heart.

"My sister and I thought you wouldn't wake up. No matter what we tried, we couldn't waken you." She emptied her plate with a last mouthful, and answered lowly: "There was this way of light… in my dreams."

"A way of light?" She got up and walked gracefully to the sink to place her plate inside.

Link could not look anywhere else. She was so bewitching, so beautiful. Strange. Link had never found a girl nearly as attractive as this one he had found in the woods in the darkness of the night. Her long golden hair was a little disheveled, but still he wished he could touch it. Just once…

"I dreamt of a way I walked along and then, suddenly, everything became real… and the colors returned. That was the moment I awaked."

"Thank heavens you woke up!" he said, moving nearer to her.

Again they watched each other without saying a single word, dreaming in each others eyes. Having lost his restraint completely, Link touched some strands of her hair, that had such power over him. Damn, he knew her. She was real! For so long she had appeared in his dreams, had he heard her voice and now she was standing right before him. It gave him confirmation, evidence, that he was not crazy. Relief. She was real…

"Would you like a hairbrush?" he asked finally, in an attempt to conceal the fact that he only enjoyed touching her. A first approach…

"Yes, that would be nice." she responded quietly. But none of them managed to take the first step out of the kitchen. As if they were frozen in place they stood in front of each other, looking for answers in the other one's eyes. She supported herself with both hands on the kitchen-board, Link drew yet one step closer.

"I don't know you…" she whispered

"Neither do I know you…"

"Does this make any difference?"

"No, I guess it never would."

"Good."

"Good." Link concluded. There was no space left between them. He placed his hands besides her slim waist on the board. Maybe they were a little too close, considering how few they knew of each other…

At this very moment the kitchen-door was pushed open and Mera Bravery, her long white nightgown showing her slight chubbiness, walked in nonchalantly. Her eyes still half closed, she had to look two times to be sure that another person stood beside her son.

"Oh. Now what is going on here?" it emerged from her mouth a little too loudly. Her big protruding eyes told Link everything he didn't want to hear. Of course she interpreted the situation according to her wishes and speeded up to the young girl, which stood right behind a praying Link. He hoped his mother would not adopt the wrong tone. Examining the young lady, she jumped around her, finishing her work with a broad smile.

"Mum, it's not what you think it is." Link said, for about the thousandth time, but she ignored him as best as she could.

She extended her hand and sang: "Good morning, young miss. I presume you have been here for quite a time, haven't you?" Her all-saying, beaming gaze turned to look at Link. The exceptional being answered softly: "Good morning… Yes, that is correct, I have been here for a little while."

"Mom, I've gotta explain a few things. Would you please…" Link tried to inch his mother out of the kitchen.

Of course his attempts were futile and she interrupted him without shame: "I do understand quite well…" she cooed, remembering the view from when she entered the kitchen all too well. "Don't let me bother you, but maybe you should continue your romantic intentions in Link's room, instead of the uncomfortable kitchen."

Link's head started glowing in all thinkable shades of red. Cursing, he yelled: "Mom, I already told you, you've got it all wrong!"

Meras grin grew even larger and the girl behind Link couldn't stop laughing heartily. The undeniable fact that said beautiful lady giggled as well rendered him utterly helpless. He turned around and only saw the sparkling amusement in her eyes. Frustrated, he shook his head, feeling more stupid than ever before in his young life.

Link stroked his fingers through his hair and muttered, without looking into her eyes: "Would you please wait in my room while I explain everything to my mother?" She nodded and walked out of the room in this fascinatingly graceful manner of hers. Just before she was out of sight he called after her: "Oh, yes… the hairbrush. Look for it in the top shelf of the shoe cupboard."

"Thank you." she breathed. Link knew, this expression of thanks was not meant for the explanation of were to find the brush, but because he tried to keep her out of the discussion he would have with his parents because of her.

"So, mom. There are some things that need to be explained. Let's go into the lounge." What Link didn't know, was that the young lady did not go into his room, but remained just outside the room to eavesdrop.

A few moments later Mera sat on the couch with her son, listening to his request, after he had told the whole story. The only part he kept secret was the voice that had called for him. "I saw her lying in the woods all alone, I just couldn't abandon her to her fate." he said softly. "Mom, I ask for your allowance that she may stay. She feels helpless and doesn't know where to go. Apart from that I…" he didn't have the courage to finish the sentence that dominated his mind at the moment. Apart from that he… needed her…

"You really want to help her, to regain her memory, Link?"

"Yes, I really do."

She got up and walked around the room for a few seconds. After a while, his father entered the room, asking himself, why his wife was already up.

"Good morning you two. What's going on?" was his first question. Link told his story a second time: "Short version: I found an unconscious girl in the woods and I brought her here. When she finally woke up, she had no memory of who she was and what happened to her. And now she doesn't know what to do…"

Mera and Link's father, named Eric, exchanged glances, skeptic, but also confident. The chubby landlady went up to her son, with a serious expression on her face and wringing her hands. "Well…"

Link suspected strongly what would come next. Rejection. His parents would send her away. Immediately he imagined telling the girl that she was unwelcome and had to leave. It was over. He could clearly see this wonderful face in desperation. He had to shut his eyes, hoping it would stop this image from appearing. Why did the mere thought of sending her away hurt this much?

"Well…" Link repeated for his mother. "I know she doesn't belong here and I anticipate what you're going to say: Send her to the police. Or to the record station. And that begone with her. To hell with her!"

"Link, I did not say that" his mother said, "but she is a stranger. You don't know her. Neither her name, nor her past, nothing. And possibly, there's something wrong with her."

The girl besides the living room door stared at the floor anxiously, suppressing the rising helplessness and this evil pressure that being all alone creates, especially when you're alone in a strange and odd world.

"I don't care." Link uttered in a hushed voice. "And even if she was a monster, I'd want to help her." Battling his inner self, Link took the few steps to the fireplace.

"Why? Why would your compassion for her be that huge?" his father asked, raising his voice for the first time.

"It is not compassion!" Link shot at him. "Sorry… it is more like sympathy." he added more calmly.

Mera frowned and her husband walked to her side.

"Please, I beg of you. Let her stay. She won't harm anyone."

"Link… you are a intelligent young man. I respect your opinion. But you ask something impossible. We can't just take her in our house and act as if everything was normal. What if her parents are missing her or others are looking for her?" his father asked. Link remained silent.

"We are sorry, son. But you will have to tell her, she has to leave."

A little tear ran down the delicate-pink cheek of the graceful being when she turned around. She hastened upstairs, into Link's room and huddled up in one of his chairs. What now, she asked herself. A final stroke. Where should she go, if she couldn't trust anybody? She sensed danger… somewhere out there something restless looked for her, and it gave her the chills. Here she had felt secure and somehow homelike. But now it as ended. She had only remained a few hours in this place, but the fact that she had to leave afflicted her.

She tried to think. Pondered, what she could do… but there was nothing that could be done. Her situation was past hope. Why did Link find her? Maybe it would have been better, had he abandoned her. She wouldn't be awake, only to feel so helpless, alone and cast away. She put her feet up and waited for Link and the inevitable good bye. The valediction came, without the getting to knowing had started.

Link stared in his father's grey eyes and shook his head stubbornly. "I will not."

"Link. Be sensible now."

"I never was sensible" he retorted, "and I don't plan to change my character."

"Tell me one plausible reason, why you want her to stay." his father emphasized. This sentence created an impish smile on Mera's face. "You know, dear, if you saw the girl, you couldn't send her away either. Our son has a crush on somebody."

"That's so not true." Link said, peeved.

"But if I was a young man your age I sure would have." She prodded her husband on his arm. "Come on, dear. Let's let those youngsters have their fun." she proposed.

Confused, but at the next moment with a little glimmer of hope in his handsome face Link looked into his mother's eyes. She smiled, and with that she convinced even her austere husband.

"I will put fresh lines on the bed in the guestroom. Agreed?" She winked her eye and jogged out of the room. Link looked after her, slightly shocked. Did this actually mean 'Yes'?

His father walked up to his side and put his hand on his son's shoulder. "Well Link, I do hope you appreciate your mother's decision."

"Yea, I sure do." Link confirmed happily, smiling now as well.

"But as soon as she remembers, you will take her to where she belongs, understood?"

Link nodded, unable to express the thankfulness he felt right now.

"Well, even though your mother is having a fussy-fit, it's still quite early in the morning and yesterday was tough, so I'm going to sleep again. I can get to know this miraculous girl later just as well. G'night."

The young hero said nothing, but cut a caper when his father was gone.

With a loud "Yeeaah!" he sprinted up the stairs and wanted to tell the strange girl the outstanding news.

Smiling he opened the door to his room, wondering at first, where the young beauty had gone. A little worried he looked around the room and found the fragile being cuddled up in his chair. Her eyes were closed and crystal-colored tracks of tears were showing on her cheeks. Was she asleep?

Kneeing down before her he said softly: "I have good news for you. You can stay, Zelda." The hell? What slipped his tongue there? Zelda? Oh yeah… of course Link. Going completely bananas now, are we? He slapped himself for this embarrassing slip and asked his common sense how this could have happened. Zelda? Holy smoke, thank heavens she was asleep and hadn't heard this awkwardness.

But still, this name wasn't as inappropriate for her as Link believed at the moment. And apart from that, the young lady would need a name. Now that she would stay here, he couldn't always address her with 'hey you'. And said name was without any doubt perfect for this girl, for even her soul seemed to bear it.

She was still asleep. And those tears? Had she really cried? Link cast this thought away as one of his strange imaginations and searched for a blanket. He covered her carefully. She mumbled something unintelligible and cuddled up even more. At this moment Link felt a mean sting of pain in his stomach. Right, the wounds… those still existed. He took another pain-killer and swallowed it with cooled down tea from his cup.

He wiped a few drops from his lips and left the room. He walked into the living-room, to check on his maddening wounds. He carefully pried the bandages loose that seemed glued on his flesh, and beheld the appalling gashes. They still seemed very moist, so the healing-process had barely started. Link sank down on the floor, wandering how long he could bear such wounds without medical treatment. He had a hard time fixing new bandages on his body, but he managed, put his green shirt back on and returned to his room. Now he really would have to wake the girl, to tell her about his parents' decision.

When he entered, he heard it rattling from the other side of the room. The girl had awoken from her brief slumber and now stood right in front of Link, a most sad look on her face. Her golden hair still was ruffled up.

She crossed her arms, looked out of the window with this troubled shine in her wonderful eyes.

"Don't say it. I should have known it all along." she uttered, her voice trembling terribly. What was she talking about? Link was speechless. She walked up to him, attempting to smile a little.

"You… You tried…" she whispered and took his hand between her two fine palms. "You are left handed…" she said weakly.

"Yea." Was all he could muster.

"Erm… maybe we'll… see each other again one day, Link." She muttered, fighting the wish to fall on her knees before him, begging to let her stay. She would not do that, never, she was much to proud for that to happen.

"Farewell" she said running towards the door, when Link, to her surprise, held her back on her right wrist.

He tried to grin, to divert from his fear of loosing her.

"Now I've convinced my parents, threatened and befuddled them so you can stay and you still want to leave? Well… that's a little… erm… unfavorable for me, because then I'm…"

Her face lightened up. "You convinced them?"

"I sure did, with some difficulties at first, true, but they have been dealt with."

On the verge of tears she put her hand over her mouth. She didn't want to appear weepy in front of him, but…

"Thank you, Link" she breathed, wiping away a few crystal tears from under her eyes. "I thought it was over. I wouldn't know what to do, if I couldn't stay here.

Link suddenly understood. "You were eavesdropping, weren't you?"

Nodding, she said: "It sounded, as if…"

"Hey, no use thinking about it anymore, right? You can have the guest room." She gave a serene laugh. "But next time you eavesdrop, you listen to the whole conversation, believe me, that's more effective. Okay?"

"Okay." she agreed, being angry with her overhasty conclusion. She really was positive she had to go. And now? She know, with the help of Link, the biggest part of what she had to endure was overcome.

"You are a precious, Link"

"Erm…" He erm-ed shyly scratching the back of his head. "Better don't say that again, or I might be too smug about it" She smiled at him and together they want into the guest room. Link then showed her the whole house, from the cellar, where she could help herself with beverages whenever she wanted, up to the attic, where besides a lot of useless junk there was an old bow, and finally the garden.

"Would you like to have a bath? I'm sure it would do you some good to relax in nice hot water."

"Yes, I'd like to."

"Wait, I'll get you fresh towels." He already rushed out of the room. She turned up the heat and closed the window. Why did she get along with him this well? Was this normal? Sometimes it seemed, as if he could read every last wish right in her eyes. He really was a jewel, or, more like a guardian angel.

It hasn't even been 24 hours since he had found her, but immediately, without even thinking about asking for something in return, he had taken care of her and spent every minute for her wellbeing. He had even argued with his parents for her sake. Why was he doing all that?

She then tried to turn on the faucet and a hot stream of water was flowing into the tub. In the very moment she tried to test its temperature, a strong hand held her arm back. "Don't. The water is boiling hot. You would burn your fingers." Link warned, who once again had acted quickly and with perfect timing.

"I am really starting to feel daft for knowing so little and having to thank you perpetually. It must aggravate you…"

"Nonsense. Don't think about it. And so you don't have to worry: you don't have to thank me for every petty matter. It's ok." And again! For his kind and understanding words alone he deserved approval and thanks.

She took the towel he had brought for her and examined the different bottles of shower foam, odoriferous shampoos and other hygiene products.

Suddenly Link let out a little moan and held his stomach, hating the smarting wounds, but knowing that he couldn't drug his body even more with pain-killers.

"Is everything alright?" she asked softly.

"Yeah." Link stuttered. "It's nothing." But she knew that something was wrong. The young man was getting more and more enigmatic and she knew that he had troubles that he didn't want to admit or share. But she promised herself, she would uncover his problem, just as she would get to know him better. One day she would look directly into his heart. But what she found there could scare frighten her as well…

Link turned the faucet on the coldest position and observed the girl, as she stood in front of the mirror, binding her hair together.

"With your long hair, tying them together won't help a lot." he mumbled, getting behind her and watching their reflection. He involuntarily thought about how well they would match up. Heavens, it's getting serious, he thought. Pitifully, he begged his mind to stop thinking something like that. Wishing, he had better control over his feelings, he touched his forehead. He wondered if it was glowing because of his agonizing injury or because this gorgeous, graceful being was standing right before him.

"Erm, what I mean to say is, you can blow-dry your hair after your bath. Do you know what I mean?"

She shook her head. Apparently in her world there existed no electrical appliances. To everybody's shame he had to explain that too, before retreating from the bathroom with a smile. But before he had vanished completely behind the door, his head remained in the door crack.

"Do you think, you will manage the rest, or do you need a little more help with things?" Perplexed she opened her mouth to chastise him for his bold behavior.

"So, you would like to watch?" Now it was Link's turn to look abashed. The young lady could be just as good-naturedly devious as the future hero himself.

"I could of course scrub your back." Link smirked, bringing the situation to the boil.

"Or you could share the bath with me altogether, hmm?" So much blatancy and cheekiness he hadn't seen coming. It was over, she had rendered him speechless. Hell, nobody had ever managed that. With a crimson head he closed the door. Even in the corridor he could hear her pleasant, lovely laugh… A sound that really discomposed him. Again he recognized the voice from his dreams…

Certain that it was his purpose to find her, he followed the stairs to his room, laughing just as lustily. He planned on having a little rest.

In another room of the house, Sara jumped out of her bed happily and lively. Ready for a new day she opened the window to enjoy the sunshine and watch the thick, white clouds float around the horizon.

She ran out of her room, eyed her watch, which showed eight o'clock, and entered the kitchen to see, if her mother was already awake. However, no-one was presently there. So, to her parent's and brother's delight, she prepared coffee, warmed up the rest of the milk and started toasting a few toasts.

She then heard the loud, droning noise of the hairdryer from the bathroom. She was confused. So her mother was awake after all? That surely wasn't usual for her. And nobody else dried his hair that way. Link for example always let it dry alfresco, even in deepest winter. And why not? It didn't matter what he did. Her big brother had never had a real cold in his life, not even if he sat in a classroom filled to the maximum with viruses. He simply didn't get sick. Something that made her brother even more unusual.

She followed the noise and soon she stood in front of the bathroom door. She knocked. "Mum, is this you in there?"

No answer. Instead, the door opened and a pair of glowing blue eyes looked at her. Sara immediately noticed, how beautiful her eyes' color was – blue, just as clear and pure as her brothers', only a few shades lighter and not that penetratingly deep.

"Erm… hi. You finally woke up." Sara stated the obvious, eying up the young lady's clothes. She nodded and gave a short and calm "Good morning."

Sara smiled: "You should be glad that this stuff is too tall and too tight around the waist for me. Otherwise you would have to walk around naked." She wanted to start a conversation, so what's a better way to do so than start with something funny?

"Yes, thank you. You are Link's sister?"

"Sure am, even though you wouldn't think so by looking at the two of us. I'm Sara. What's your name?"

The strange girl left the bathroom and walked towards the kitchen. Link's sister had not yet learned about her prolonged stay and the fact that she had lost her memory. Her hands clenched to fists, she said: "It's not that easy to answer I'm afraid. I wished, I could tell you who I am, but unfortunately I do not know."

Sara sat down besides the young beauty at the kitchen table.

"Please explain." Asked Sara and added: "Would you like some toast?" The nameless girl eyed Sara a little clueless, but understood what toast was when she passed her the plate with a ton of them on top.

"I woke up a few hours ago and remember absolutely nothing. Everything is gone, as if I had been in a completely different place before."

Sara had a delightful bite of her toast with jam. She didn't seem very surprised or aghast, but just looked encouragingly at the girl. "Well, can't be helped right now. Now you're here and that's that. Would you like milk or coffee?"

Milk seemed a lot more familiar to her, so she decided for the first.

"With honey?"

"Yes, please."

Sara smiled. "That's exactly like Link drinks it. He doesn't care for coffee. Hell if I know why, but he positively loves milk." The strange girl smiled a little and examined Sara now very exactly. Link's sister really had now resemblance to him, but… no, that wasn't true. Sara appeared quite blunt to people of her surrounding. That was probably partly due to her cheeky blue-grey eyes, her short hair and her love for green clothes. You could mistake her for a kobold, not a greedy one, but very uncouth. Apart from her appearance she had a lot in common with Link, her quick-wittedness alone indicated that.

"Are my parents OK with you staying here?"

"Yes they are. Link explained the whole misery to them earlier."

"That was very kind of him, wouldn't you agree?"

"He is an extremely kind and caring person. I have learned that the moment I woke up."

Sara grinned cheekily: "And good looking at that. But I'm sure I didn't have to tell you, since you'll have known that already…" After that remark the young beauty looked away.

"But his way of making an impression on others is enigmatic. He carries a lot of problems on his back, but he still acts, as if he was cheerful. Sometimes I wonder if I really know him… You should know that, since you're obviously staying here."

The girl noticed the little warning.

"Oh well… Where is our hero anyway?"

"Hero?" The young lady asked. Sara giggled a little and replied: "I'll explain it later, when we've found a name for you." She winked.

Right, there's still the need for a name for the young woman.

"But we can guess your age right now." Sara added. The girl with the short, brown hair got up, grabbed a few more plates and quickly prepared the table for the others. They then left the room together. "I'd say, you're about the same age as Link." The nameless girl seemed to agree.

"Can you think of a name that you particularly like?" Sara asked while they went along the corridor to Link's room.

"No…"

"Any name at all?"

"Oh, I really don't know. This is not an easy thing to think of…"

Sara turned around, eyeballed the strange girl from head to toe and grinned boldly. "I've got an idea, but Link will probably behead me if I say it aloud."

The young woman opened her mouth to ask what Sara meant to achieve with her secrecy, but she just giggled and said: "The name would really fit you, but Link… he really won't be delighted with it, I'm afraid." The girl just shrugged her shoulders. "It doesn't matter. I only need to have a name, no matter what it is."

They reached Link's room and knocked, but nobody came to open it.

"Hmm? Isn't he in here?"

"I do not know." the unknown girl replied. "He didn't say if he planned on going out. I thought he was in his room" Sara knocked once again, but he apparently wasn't in there.

Without further ado the two girls entered, finding him asleep on the floor. Sara shook his shoulder and patted him on his right cheek. "Link?"

Sleepily he opened his eyes, sat up and yawned. "How late is it?" The young lady stood behind him, so at first he didn't notice her.

"It's half past eight. You fell asleep." Sara stated the obvious.

Link's memory slowly awoke as well. Shaking his head he half-consciously mumbled: "Now where is Ze…"

"What?" Sara asked loudly. Her face began to form a sardonic grin.

"Never mind" Link turned around and spotted the unknown beauty, who stood smiling at the door.

"Feeling like breakfast, bro?"

Link affirmed and jumped up from the floor. Like before he didn't let anybody notice the pain he felt and play-acted. It would hurt his pride to appear weak before the young lady. So, he had to seem perfectly alright, ignoring the burning, suppressing the vertigo.

Link told Sara how he had convinced their parents in detail and talked to the strange girl as if he knew her for a lifetime. Like that, the time flew past.

His parents immediately took her into their heart; they were almost more enthusiastic about her than Link.

After lunch the three teens pondered, how they were going to find a name for the mysterious girl.

"I know!" Sara yelled out and started searching the place for every kind of scraps of paper. "There, now let's write names on these papers, then we throw them into a bag and you…" she pointed at the girl, "… you'll pick one. The name that's written on it shall be yours."

Link and the young lady consented to Sara's idea and they started writing every name that occurred to them on the scraps.

The young, future hero had left the room for a few minutes, when the strange girl asked Sara about their discussion, earlier that day: "Sara, which name did you have in mind before?"

"You will know, when you pick a certain piece of paper. If you choose it unconsciously, it has to be destiny… or coincidence."

"You are secretive, Sara."

"Naw, I'm just smart, which one can see not only by seeing my marks, AND I'm not self important." The girl smiled. "I never thought of you that way. But something is hidden behind your appearance." Sara looked at her with a serious expression. The lady's gaze was also fixed in Sara's eyes.

"You see many things, no one else has the gift to see. But you fear it." The mood between the two girls changed from amicable to tense. It was as if the mysterious girl could perceive things behind a being's eyes, things that the being itself didn't want to reveal or had not yet realized. It seemed, as if this person knew more than anybody else.

"You can see, before there is anything to see, but you have yet to learn to accept this gift." The young lady, with the eyes of a wise and powerful person took Sara's hand and said: "Don't be afraid of yourself… Sara"

"But I…" she mumbled and looked aside, confused and a little fearful. The strange girl stood up, apparently wondering about herself.

"Forgive me, I didn't want to…" Shocked, she touched her lips with her fingers. She didn't understand, didn't know what had gotten into her. There it had been again… something about her wasn't right. She was decidedly different than other people and now, after this escapade with Sara she had another evidence for it.

"You're just as crazy as Link, you know that?" Sara exclaimed, to finish this awkward moment.

"Speaking of Link… you wanted to know what I meant when I called him… hero, right?"

The girl turned around slowly and nodded sheepishly.

Sara hopped to Link's desk, grabbed the play-guide of 'Ocarina of Time' and started browsing through it. "You see, his name is Link as well." she said, pointing at the character in the green tunic.

"Really?"

"Yeah, it's funny… but he doesn't like being compared to a game character only because of their shared name. He positively hates it…"

"But I'd like to have a look at this game…" She gently stroke her fingertips over a depiction of the Hero of Time, touched his face as if he was real."

"Of course, you should." Sara replied.

Link returned a few seconds later. He immediately saw the two girls sitting over the guide, browsing through it grinning with amusement.

"It gets even better… Link looks quite similar to the hero. Stark, isn't it?" Sara exclaimed, having not yet noticed her brother's presence. The beauty didn't answer. She thought of how humiliating it must be for him, to always be compared to something that didn't even exist. This hero simply wasn't real, Link however was. It had to be very burdening for him, for, apparently, The Legend of Zelda was known by almost everyone.

"Yeah, stark. Nice one, Sara. You really got nothing better to talk to her, than the resemblance of a fictional guy and me, topped by the sharing of the same name. Thank you. I used to think that you were different than most people. Apparently another one of my mistakes." Link looked at her in such a scornful way, like never before.

"I'm sorry Link. That…"

"Oh, I can understand, you know, since I'm not so naïve and silent as a certain green-capped guy. Thanks for the ridiculing." he snapped, cutting off her words. Fuming, he leapt between the two, grabbed the play-guide and tossed it into the cupboard, making sure it can't be seen, as if it was some kind of rescue for himself, if no-one could ever study it again.

Sara looked away remorsefully and the strange girl observed both siblings carefully and understood a lot… too much. She saw things in someone's heart, without wanting to.

A long and uncomfortable pause downed the general mood. The unknown beauty took the initiative and grabbed the bag with the name-tags in it. Instead of just letting everything take it's destined course, the two youngsters had to do things the complicated way. But was all this necessary any more? Didn't she already feel, what name was to be – and always was – hers?

"Would be best to pick one right now." Link said. "There's already enough tension for now." She nodded and started rummaging in the bag.

She had made her choice and carefully unfolded the piece of paper. A little confused she looked into Link's deep-blue eyes and anticipated his dislike for what she had picked.

She said nothing, but passed the slip to him. Staggered, but well-knowing, whose handwriting it was, he looked up to his sister. "You really are trying to finish my sanity off, aren't you?" he exclaimed crossly.

Sara quickly eyed the piece of paper, but she had already been sure about the name the young lady would choose. "Well, we shall call you Zelda."

She smirked. How nice it can be to see harmless forebodings come true. Sara always knew that she would only take this very one.

Peeved beyond all measure, Link let himself fall into his chair, and just shook his head. "Great job there Sara… well done, really…"

"Perfect, isn't it? Zelda really fits well." She said, pointing meaningfully to at the now silent girl.

"And what am I supposed to tell others when they ask what happened? How about: Link finds Zelda!" Marvelous. Only thing missing are the six sages and the king of Hyrule." he snapped wryly. For some reason it really bugged him. It wasn't as if the name didn't fit the strange girl, for it did, but it simply didn't feel right for reasons yet unknown.

"If other people ask, go ahead and tell the truth." Link glared at Sara, as if saying: "The truth? Sure, I'll tell them about my dreams, or that her voice had called me."

He still was boundlessly furious with Sara and for the moment everything was too much. His wounds smarted as badly as ever and now that. He grumbled: "You really are out of your mind."

"You're the one who is out of his mind." She said sulkily.

"Be that as it may, but I still refrain from humiliating people with senseless fantasies that nobody is interested in. This time you have screwed things up big time." The young beauty tried to intervene. "Hey, calm down you two. There is no need getting so fired up about this, because…" But she was interrupted by the two irate siblings, who continued arguing over something as stupid as a name.

Their quarrel continued until Sara exasperatedly stormed out of the room and slammed the door behind her.

Embarrassed by this stupid demonstration of a redundant sibling-argument, Link tried to find a new topic to talk about. He wasted his time thinking, however.

"Do you two quarrel often like this?" the blonde-haired lady asked, sitting down on the swivel chair in front of the desk.

"Yeah… always about trifles like this, it seems. I feel so brainless. You know, I really didn't want to yell at Sara, but this issue with the game…"

"You simply don't want to be a character out of a game. Hey, who'd want that?" she said. She waited for him to look at her and smiled. "I'm sure she isn't angry with you. I think even the biggest mistakes are quickly forgiven for someone like you…" she added. Link just watched her in a puzzled way. Did he just hear a compliment? How absurd. There he was, showing a disgraceful, late-pubertal bicker with his sister, and the strange girl paid him a compliment.

He put on a charming smile and nodded.

"But about the name…" he started "I think…"

"Yes?" the girl opposite skidded a few centimeters closer to him.

"It really does suit you perfectly… even if I don't want to accept it."

"Really?"

At this very moment, the piece of jewelry came back to Link's mind. He hadn't yet retrieved it from behind the bedside table. He stood up and bent over the little cupboard, his teeth clenched. His wounds didn't agree with moves like this, but he would not show weakness in front of this beautiful face. Not today, not tomorrow…

This time, he grabbed the luxurious jewel and handed it to the perplexed looking beauty.

"You were holding this tiara in your right hand when I found you and you wouldn't let go of it. At night it accidentally dropped behind there. It is yours, take it." She eyed the noble piece as if she associated something repulsive with it. Something about it made her feel most uneasy, something unpredictable and cold.

"I don't want to have that thing." She exclaimed, marking it as something use- and worthless. Appalled she put it on the brown, round table in the middle of the room. "Somehow it sickens me. If you like, you can sell it somewhere." she went to the window and, with her arms crossed, looked outside, which, Link assumed, was her favorite occupation.

Link fetched a box for the jewel and put it into the nearest cupboard. He walked up to her side and partook in watching the outside world.

"This is a strange world, out there…" Link stated, subdued, suppressing the upcoming pain.

"Yes… everyone lives without wanting to grasp the meaning behind it…", she answered. "But why do you feel a stranger in your own world? You have a caring family and lead a normal life…" she said.

"My life isn't so normal, mind you." he replied. She looked at him from the side, fearing a little what she might see, were she to cast a glance behind his façade. He was so indescribably attracting, so enigmatic…Heavy secrets lay in his soul, burdening him. She could feel it…

He turned towards her and tried one of his soft, charming smiles.

"So… Zelda…" he murmured, surprised, how beautiful this name sounded if pronounced correctly.

"So, Link?" she asked.

"What would you like to do today? I would have shown you the spot I found you, but it's quite foggy and it's drizzling. It's rather unpleasant in the woods during such slimy weather.

"I agree. Are you there often, in the woods?"

Link only nodded. "It is, as if there always was something calling me there."

"As if you lived there once…"

"Yes, exactly." She returned his thoughtful look. Impossible… she understood, knew his thoughts. It was the first time in Link's life, that someone wanted to understand him this way: unconditionally. The first time, he could talk completely free with another human being.

"Thank you, Zelda."

"For what?" Surprise was visible in her eyes.

"Oh, just because."

For a long time, they just looked at each other, making the moment last as long as possible, none of them even dared to blink.

"You give me courage, even though I can't fathom why…" she said. "Somehow I feel so safe here, secure and comfortable. How can I thank you for letting me stay?"

"I am sure, something will occur to me…" he said grinning, but the grin quickly vanished again when his injury smarted evilly. He inhaled deeply and had to support himself on the window sill.

Suddenly he felt a warm hand touching his forehead softly. His eyes met hers, which looked decidedly worried. "You don't have to simulate an ideal world that exists for no-one. You neither help me or you with it…" she muttered, a little shaky. She knew, he didn't feel well. She felt his fever almost as if it were hers.

He didn't reply to her words, took her wrist in his hands and gently guided her palm away from his forehead, despite the definitely pleasurable feeling of her skin on his. Link walked a few rounds in his room, not minding Zelda's serious expression. He directed his steps towards the door. Damn it, he still wanted to distract from his not-well-being, but didn't know how. She had seen clearly through him, she knew too much.

"Wait Link. Could you show me this game, just for one time?"

He shook his head. "I promised to Sara not to touch it. You can ask her about that." His hand had reached the door handle.

"Link…" she wanted to get through to him. It seemed to be quite a life task. He kept so many secrets, not only from others, but also from himself.

"Yes?" he asked without turning around.

"Please stay. Tell me more about this world, Link."

He opened the door. "Later…" he murmured and left the room. She followed him, wanted to know what troubled him, wanted to help him, like he had helped her. She also stepped out of the room, immediately wondering, how Link could have vanished so quickly.

Zelda ran into the living-room and saw Link's parents sit on the couch, watching TV, scooping chips into their mouths. They were laughing about some stupid recording.

"Are you looking for Link?" Mera asked, when she could stop her shrill laughter for a moment.

"Yes, I am."

"He put on his jacket and rushed off without a word. Don't think about following him, you wouldn't catch up, I'm afraid.

"Why not?"

"Because he's too fast and knows a lot of secret hideouts."

"And were is Sara?"

"She is at Mike's, a friend." Zelda went to the couch were the married couple sat comfortably, following the happenings on a new flat-screen TV. Mera got up and eyed the girl. "Sara said, we should call you Zelda. Correct?" She nodded and smiled a little wryly. "A beautiful name. But anyway, you seem like you don't know what you could do, right?"

"Yes, I think I just need something to occupy myself."

"Completely understandable. Maybe you'd like to read? I've got a few fantasy-, horror-, or crime-novels, if you like something like that. Or you could always watch one of the DVDs of our collection." Link's father looked at the girl, smiling.

"Thanks, but I'd rather do something more useful…"

"Sorry, on weekends there is nothing worthwhile to be done, just relaxing stuff. Seems like my son should have found you earlier."

Zelda smiled.

"About Link…" Zelda started. She sat down on a big, crème-colored stool with soft cushioning. "Is there nothing I could do for him, since I'm in his debt and all…"

"You want to make as much out of the situation as possible. I understand." Link's father said. Zelda now studied him properly for the first time. He had blue-grey eyes, just like Sara, wore a three-day-old-beard and was very slim, maybe a little too skinny. The most noticeable feature was a big scar on his right cheek and the glasses on his nose.

"I would certainly like to charge you with sorting out Link's cupboards for trash, but you'd go crazy on all the junk he keeps there. Plus he doesn't like it, if someone goes through his stuff."

"Maybe reading a book isn't such a bad idea."

Mera then led her to her own little library – meaning one giant wall with bookshelves in their bedroom. "What shall it be? Harry Potter? Lord of the Rings? Dean Koontz could work too… or maybe Marion Zimmer Bradley?"

"Well I… To be honest, I don't seem to recognize any of these names."

"Tcha, must be due to your loss of memory."

"No, there's more behind it." Zelda sighed, while browsing through the books. Mera looked slightly puzzled, then lay a gentle hand on the girl's shoulder. "Be that as it may, why don't you just try to enjoy your time here?" Zelda nodded and finally decided for a book of the Donovan-saga.

Mera smirked. "But I warn you: These books are always a little… well… romantic…" Zelda disregarded the warning, wanting to find out for herself. If it got too dreamy and it was no fun reading it, she could always shut the book.

Mera followed the girl to the guest-room. A beautiful chamber, with a double-bed which Zelda had for her alone a desk, a little couch, a radio and even a TV.

"Go ahead and make yourself at home." an offer Zelda would surely accept. She sat down in front of the desk and had another spontaneous idea. "Erm, Mera, could you do me one final favor?"

"Certainly, what do you want?"

"I could need a few sheets of parchment and a quill."

Mera started laughing heartily and was soon rolling in the aisles. Trying to control her breath, she leaned against the wall.

"Did I say something amiss?" Zelda asked silently and was once again embarrassed.

"In this world feathers are no longer used, at least not for everyday-life, poor child."

"Oh…" she mumbled. "excuse me…"

Mera quickly went up to her. "Now, now, no need to be sorry for that. It just sounded so funny. It is me who should apologize for my laughter… Wait, I'll get you writing things and a notebook."

Ashamed, Zelda let herself fall backwards on the bed and held the book protecting in front of her glowing-red face. How awkward… how humiliating.

She just didn't know anything, didn't know the ropes in this world. She felt so inappropriate with her dated way. Everything was disconcerting… people and their manners, things…

Again she felt as if she should know something, she just didn't; something forgotten, but still of great importance, not only for her, but for this whole modern world.

As she lay there, she turned her head to the window, saw rain, pouring from the nebulous sky almost in an enraged manner.

Something waited out there. Someone looked for her. She intuited it, sensed it. One of her wondrous abilities, she knew nothing about.

Something malicious, inhumanly dark lurked out there and waited, desired power, longed for revenge.

Mera happily stumbled into the room and put Zelda off her stride. That seemed to be her prevalent ability: to throw people, especially her son, for a loop.

She had an A4 note pad under her arm and a pencil case in her hand.

"Here you go. May I now ask what you need it for?" Zelda jumped up from the bed to take the items she was holding.

"I want to write down my thoughts, maybe make a note of some dreams, to capture what's important…"

"Well, our boy seems to actually have found himself a princess." Mera giggled and sat down in a chair at one side of the desk.

"I thank you a lot, Mera. I would be lost, had Link not found me, and if I weren't allowed to stay."

"Well he put up quite an argument, so you can remain here." Zelda smiled.

"And I think he's got quite a crush on you upon seeing you. You really are very pretty. Someone's simply got to say that at one point." Zelda sheepishly looked down and her cheeks turned slightly pinker. "Thanks for the compliment."

"Don't mention it." After a short pause Mera added: "Before I forget it, Eric and I are going on a holiday tomorrow. Sara wants to join us. Which means, you and Link will be all alone in this big house. Next Sunday we'll be back. Just so you know." Zelda nodded. "Okay, now do whatever pleases you, Zelda."

The girl spread herself out on the bed again, picked up the book and started to read. Merely 2 minutes later Mera entered again and added further: "And if you're hungry or thirsty, just say so, ok?"

"Yes, thank you."

How warm-hearted these people she ended up with were. Are many of this modern world's inhabitants as pleasant and showed such understanding?

Zelda read attentively and admiringly read her book and upon reading she forgot how quickly time passed.

Late in the evening Zelda was distracted from her reading. The doorbell rang. She jumped up and ran out of the room. She heard it again when she was on the stairs. Strange. Why didn't anybody open the door? Where were Mera and Eric? Again the ringing sound reached her ears. She hastened for the door and looked through the door-viewer. Link stood there, completely drenched with soggy hair.

Zelda opened up for him with a "Hey."

He entered without a single word, but had to support himself on the doorframe, gasping quickly. At that moment the girl was certain that he was anything but well.

"I seem to have forgotten my key." he whispered between his gasps, which forced Zelda to smile a little.

"Is everything alright?" she asked, but Link didn't respond.

Slowly he stumbled up to his room, Zelda, determined not to let him alone, following him. He can keep silent all he wants, I will still find out what's wrong with him, she thought. She wanted to thank him somehow for his help, his compassion and she had already come up with an idea.

When he had reached his big chamber, he at first wondered about the strange beauty that had just snuck after him without any sign of restraint. Didn't she see that he wanted be left alone for now? He switched his desk-lamp on, pulled the wet baseball-cap from his head and placed it besides the oil-stove. It was dark outside, much too dark.

Exhausted from his little stroll, Link fell down on his couch. He was wet to the bone, but it didn't interest him. Still, he acted as if Zelda wasn't present, switched his TV on and watched the stupidity of Saturday afternoon shows.

"I… bother you, right?" she said faintly. She had hoped, Link would tell her a few things about this world. His eyes met hers for a short, meaningless moment, but still, Link could see sorrow, helplessness and even a hint of fear.

"If you like, just sit down…" he replied, already astounded by his own words. Didn't he want to be left in peace just seconds ago?

He surely did. On the other hand he liked her presence and enjoyed it if she was with him.

"Do you know where my parents are?" Link asked to do the first step. Zelda's eyes sparkled for a fraction of a second in a most unnatural light, then she sat down besides him on the couch. She too made herself comfortable and put her feet up. "They probably pack their bags for tomorrow. Sara is at a friend's…"

"Aha, at Mike's, I presume…" Link murmured and his gaze turned to her. Just before, she appeared so fragile, yet so unapproachable as if not of this world. But since Zelda wore the jeans and the blouse, she seemed changed, appeared to be a normal human being with an indescribable smile.

"Yes, Mike it is, if I recall correctly."

"She always acts, as if he was just a friend, but I looked right through her…" Link said and smirked a little. He lay one hand on the bandages under his greed shirt, suppressed the burning pain. Zelda didn't notice any of that…

"You mean, Mike's her boyfriend?"

"Yep." Link finished. Again he zapped through the channels, searching for something worthwhile.

"Actually I'm really not someone who likes to spend the whole day in front of the tube. But with this weather out there, there isn't much else to do. "

"I wished, I knew what did during storms like this." she said gloomily. Link shifted a little closer to her and mumbled softly: "Have a little confidence. It will take a little time, regaining your memories." Zelda evaded his gaze and stiffened briefly due to his closeness.

"I'm just worried… who knows what I should be doing right now."

He tried to smile, which was not an easy task, thanks to his pitiable condition. "True, who knows? So just enjoy your time here."

At that Zelda walked to the window, looked up at the sky, where the rain clouds slowly started to retreat. What might be hidden in the world up there, behind the clouds, behind the everyday sundown? "Before you came I've been reading an interesting book." She said and saw a buzzard fly over the woods in the south.

"One of my mother's novels, I assume."

"It contained so many things I just couldn't understand, so many words I have never heard." She supported her much too heavy head with one hand. Quite a number of stifling thoughts circled in there. Asking why, asking for the reason that everything was so unfamiliar to her, started to doubt her own existence. She wistfully marveled the wide firmament, knowing, there existed so much more than only this world, but she didn't even fully conceive her own knowledge. The moon broke through the darkening veil of clouds that searched to seal away its light.

"I…" Zelda started, knowing what she wanted to say must sound very strange.

Link suddenly stood at her side and he, too, admired the heaven's tent.

"You… love the sky…" he said, astonished, about how he could have known what she was going to say. She turned around to face him and smiled briefly. "You can read my mind. Have you learned that somewhere?"

"No, it only works with you…" he answered honestly.

"Then I have to be very careful from now on."

"Are you afraid of thinking a wrong thing?" A trace of serenity was noticeable in his voice.

"No, I am more afraid to think the right thing…" and her head turned back towards the further darkening evening sky.

"Just so you know… I am steeled for every thought you can muster."

"Before some thoughts even the strongest protection crumbles." She said and then smiled.

"To say the truth, you look so innocent; I can hardly imagine your mind to be that dangerous and deadly."

"Appearances can deceive you." She replied and her little smile disappeared. "I believe, I am not as harmless as I seem to others, as I may appear to you…"

"You are scared of yourself, Zelda…" he mumbled. "You can believe me, I know this feeling only too well." She nodded meaningfully.

And Link did know what he was talking about. On some days he felt capable of more than he should be. His semblance was that of a teenage boy, but concealed inside was a man who had seen more death and harm than anybody else.

"Occasionally, when I gaze upon the blue sky, the most… soothing sensation overcomes me." She whispered. "But it's as if…" she searched for the right words.

"As if it could not be everlasting…" he finished for her.

"If you continue to sneak into my head, it'll come to a bad end." she riposted giggling.

"Everything is going to end well." he teased her and smirked.

After a while of pious marveling of the evening sky, Zelda asked: "Do you think, it is imperishable, do you think the blue of the sky will be forever?"

"I am certain, there will always be someone, who fights for its existence."

"This is an assertive view of things."

"Yeah, and if not, I'll do the job."

"Job?" she laughed about the thought. How could a seventeen-year-old make the sun shine and the world go round perpetually, especially one, who thought of the sky's rescue as a 'job'?

She shook her head after that promenade of her thoughts. Why did she worry about the end of the world all of a sudden? As if the devil had arisen straight from hell recently. How far the two youths had drifted off from their initial topic, the girl noticed, and wondered a little.

"Well, next week are holidays, so I've got time for one adventure or another."

She grinned at him. "So, I've ended up with an adventurer?"

"First off, a bore wouldn't have found you, and secondly you get to see a lot more if you're with an adventurer."

"I'm happy to hear that, Link" she said, smiling.

"Me even more so…" he mumbled, not sure, how exactly he meant that. He was happy that she was here, although he did not know her. Yes, indeed, but… was that wholly true?

Link padded towards his desk, at the same time turning the TV off. "I've got an idea. Sara unfortunately forbade me to touch the Gamecube, but I could show you a Gameboy-version of the game about Zelda. You wanted to know about it, didn't you?"

"Yes, I did." she said and too hopped towards the couch. Link started explaining a few important details about 'Minish Cap'. Zelda showed enthusiasm and seemed to love the on the spot. It had something, she wanted to recall. Something jolted her, as she understood the meaning of the game…

After a while Link turned the handheld console off and let himself sink down on the bed. Almost immediately his eyes closed.

"Zelda" he started, anxious to keep his weak condition secret from her. She knelt down at his side, just as he had done, when she had woken up.

"Mmh?"

"I know, I wanted to explain a few things about this world, but…"

"…you're not feeling well." She finished for him. He looked at her again, saw something like certainty in her glimmering eyes, also a lot of sympathy.

He nodded. "Shall I leave you to yourself?"

"Would you?" he conformed. Okay, she had to respect that. If he asked her to leave, he surely had understandable reasons. For just a moment, she laid her soft hand on his cheek and hummed: "Thank you again, Link, and sleep well, so that you're soon better."

Link gazed after her when she left the room and risked another look at him for two seconds. "Good night" Link said weakly. The next moment she was gone. Link was alone with his problems, as alone as he had always been. But maybe Zelda knew what troubled him all along… maybe she could one day filter down to him and help him like he helped her.

Link crawled wearily under his blanket and without any further movement or thought closed his eyes. Still fully dressed he fell asleep, wishing for a dreamless night… no monsters… no strange faces. No-one may ever have access to the Link he actually was, no-one was to behold what was concealed behind the youthful face of his. Not his parents. Not Sara or his friends. Not Zelda either…

They may never find out what happened inside him. All those things, the encounters with evil in his dreams, the sinister wounds… all that would let them forget that he was still Link, their son or friend. He didn't want to admit how bad he felt. It wasn't that hard to cope with the pain…yeah, it would work somehow.

From the time when he was but a small boy, Link convinced himself, he could only be strong if he denied his fears, his true emotions. He paid a bitter price for etching closer and closer to the limits of his strength. But why? What for did he go through hell all the time? He owed himself an explanation.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 3

_In his dream he saw Zelda, standing right before him. She smiled, in a way she hadn't smiled ever before. _

"_Thank you, my hero." she said. Link didn't understand the meaning of it. "…for finding me." She laid her hand on his cheek._

Just when Link enjoyed it most, when he thought that nothing could be more comforting than her soft skin on his, he woke up. He, once again, found himself spread-eagled on the floor, before forcing himself up. This time, he did not forget about the dream.

On the desk he spotted a letter. He carefully took it and had to read it twice, before his sleepy eyes conveyed the message to his brain. His parents and Sara had left already. They didn't want to wake him, so they left this message. Was it Saturday already? Damn, Link had completely overslept.

"Zelda…" Was she still here? Funny, Link had the feeling that this name really was meant for her and for her alone. He stumbled out of his room. There was nobody around. Surely, Zelda had left. Had she even been here at all? In Link's thoughts she was with him, he felt her presence. He had searched for her , found her and brought her here… Link stood absentmindedly in the middle of the living room, when somebody opened the door. One bag dropped from her hand, when she looked at him, her gaze fixed on his T-shirt. Blood had poured out of his body.

"Link! For heaven's sake!" her hands went in front of her mouth in shock when Link sank down on the floor. "What happened to you?"

"I'd sure like to know that…" she knelt down at his side, understood and asked nothing more. A dozen questions had probably poured out of Sara's mouth by now. She however kept her calm and didn't probe him on the matter, neither about what happened, nor if it hurt badly. Instead, she helped him stand up and assisted him on his way to the couch. Zelda flicked through a telephone book, wrote down one number and called somebody. Slowly but steadily, she got used to this world.

"Who did you call?"

"A medic, you need professional help immediately.

"What? Have you gone mad? Am I supposed to tell him that a game has inflicted these wounds on me?" Zelda didn't appear to be surprised in the slightest, for some reason. Did she know about it? And if yes, how?

As if she had read his thoughts, she added: "No, I do not know about it. It doesn't matter where you got these injuries from, or who caused them. The important thing is that… you feel better soon." After a short pause she continued: "Your parents have departed for their longed for holydays and Sara came with them. She was still pretty angry at you…" timidly, she said: "You know, I dreamed about you."

Not even that could surprise Link any more, he just smiled. She smiled back at him. There he recognized her smile from his dream. This was it. Silence ruled over the house's living room. No sound, no noise, no voice. It was almost an uncomfortable quiet.

The bell ringing at the door came just at the right moment. Both of them hadn't known, what more there was to say in that moment.

Zelda hurried off to open the door. The voice he heard soon afterwards somehow seemed familiar. Oh no! Not him, please not Dr. Dar Gordon. This doctor positively relished being mildly cruel to his victims.

He entered the living room with a slightly puzzled expression on his round face. He was a short, muscular man with darkly tanned skin and light brown short hair.

"Well, who have we got here? Link, how are you?" No adequate answer came to mind, so he just cast a grim smile at Zelda. She simply laughed at him however. Gordon examined the wounds and, surprisingly, asked no questions either. Link almost jumped up to run away when Gordon told him, he definitely had to administer an injection. Upon seeing Zelda's look however, he rather endured that, than having to justify an escape to her.

"Say, Mr. Gordon…"

"Oh, just call me Dar."

"Okay, Dar, don't you want to know what caused my injuries?"

"No, I don't." He bandaged his torso anew and ordered it to be changed every day. With a bow to Zelda he showed himself out.

"What was that?"

"I have no idea…"

It was almost noon now. Link was currently in the kitchen, rummaging in several cupboards, in desperate search of something edible. He felt utterly stupid, having a guest but neither skill nor materials necessary for cooking anything worth eating. Zelda entered the room, he didn't notice however. He proceeded to ransack the fridge, but all he found was a package of milk past its expiration date, a few cans of fish and conserved vegetables, butter, ketchup and other vital stuff. But nothing you could prepare a decent meal out of, unfortunately. He started swearing at nothing in particular.

"Damn it. And it is Sunday, of all days, so I can also forget about going grocery shopping." Zelda smirked. Link finally noticed her presence, turned around in a flash and smiled innocently.

"Erm… looks like we have a problem."

"A problem?" She smiled at him.

"Yeah, kind of a problem."

"Indeed. A big problem?" Link played along now.

"Depending on what you would consider to be a big problem."

"I would define the circumstance that you can't find something edible a big problem."

"Then I have to say that we indeed have a exceedingly big problem." Now Link grinned as well. It was great fun talking to her. Never before in his life had he been able to talk to anybody so freely. Who on earth was she? A soul mate maybe?

Zelda opened the freezer. "Let me solve the problem. Your mother said there were a few things left in here, but we would have to go shopping tomorrow." Link looked at Zelda. He didn't fully understand, what this feeling was, but somehow she being here didn't feel exceptional any more, as if she was part of the family for a long time. Link stood beside her, looking into the freezer to identify the various bags and packages in it.

"Say, can you remember anything by now? Maybe a little hint?"

"No, I'm afraid not." She walked to the window and hung her head. "At times, everything, even little unimportant details feel so alien. I mean for example the fridge, the TV, this modern technology all together. I even feel certain that I never possessed any of these things…" Link didn't know what he should answer, so he kept quiet.

"But… let's forget about it, I probably worry about nothing." Peeved, Link closed the freezer again.

"I know. Why don't we just go to Burger King or McDonalds? My treat."

"I know, you mean only well for me, but I am already costing you and your family so much. I just can't accept your offer." Link leaned back on the fridge's door, crossed his arms and said: "Well, then you'll have no other option than staying here."

"Yes, you can go."

"Don't worry, I'm away in no time."

"Okay."

"Yep. See you later."

Link couldn't stand the situation any longer, grabbed her arm and pulled her with him. "I don't want to eat alone, so!" And Zelda followed him without a trace of reluctance.

A little later that day they sat opposite of each other at a McDonald's-table. Zelda was still pondering about what she should pick to eat.

"Say, what of all this stuff actually tastes good?" Her gaze jumped all over the board with the different offers.

"Well, that would depend on how strictly you watch your waistline."

"Sorry?"

"It's easy: It tastes quite good, but it fattens just as well." Zelda shrugged her shoulders, as if that matter didn't interest her at all.

"Just pick something for me, would you?" she said finally. Link stood up and queued up. He found Zelda more and more likeable…

Yes, he had found her and felt a strong responsibility for her, but more than that, this girl had something to her that made her unique. The longer he studied her eyes, the stronger the feeling of knowing her got…

His gaze wandered back to her. Zelda looked out of the window, bearing a sad look in those warm eyes of hers. He knew this look… even if this knowledge could only be a figment.

When Link put the tablet on the table, Zelda looked at him in surprise. She had been deeply lost in thought, so his return completely evaded her notice.

"I know, we don't really know each other, but to me, you seem so pensive. Is everything all right?" Link asked warily. He expected her to avoid answering his question. It was quite a personal question after all and he had no right to intrude in her life.

To his great surprise, she smiled softly at him. "No… not really." He handed her one of the bags on the tablet.

"Is it because of your amnesia?" Now he had gotten far too curious to stop asking.

"No, it's just so, that I have no clue, what I'm supposed to do. I feel so lost." She looked away in abashment. "But why am I telling you, anyway? It's not going to particularly interest you. After all, we don't know us, right?"

"Erm… well… It does interest me nonetheless."

"Really?"

"Sure."

"Is that so? You appear to be one very helpful fellow, Link."

"And you seem to be a very thoughtful girl, Zelda." He grinned a little silly and slyly; Link's typical form of grinning.

Thereupon, they ate their burgers, fries and salads and so on. More accurate in Link's case, however, would be 'he crammed all the food almost at once in his mouth'.

After their meal, they remained seated for a little longer.

"I am positive that I have never before eaten anything like this." Zelda mumbled.

"Did you like it, at least?"

"Yes, it actually did taste pretty good. But I have to say, I'm completely full."

"And you're quite sure that this won't harm your figure?" he grinned again.

"I don't think, I ever minded it at all." She said and sipped on her coke.

"No? Well, that's a pity. You see, you look like you placed great value on your appearance."

"What do you mean by that?" He looked sideways.

"Well, just look at you. There's not a gram of flab on your entire body, your hair looks incredibly well tended, even at the time I found you in the forest. Your skin must feel, as if you put a special lotion on it every three hours, and and and… I'm certain, my sister is a tad jealous."

She supported her chin on her right hand and let her blue eyes sparkle at him.

"You are watching me quite intently, don't you think?"

"I happen to be a very exact observer."

"A little too exact with some people, huh?"

He moved a little closer and retorted cheekily: "Indeed, there are persons I study very precisely…"

"I assume, one should be honored, being one of those chosen."

"To be honest, there are only very few to have this privilege."

"So, this would only increase the feeling honor I am supposed to have for being one of so few." She smiled, waiting for an answer. Link considered his options very diligently. Normally, quick-witted answers came naturally to his mind, but with Zelda, his brain seemed to have ceased working properly.

"I am thrilled, to see how you want to express said honor." he ended up saying.

Zelda sighed; he always got the last word. "You got me now." But Link just laughed and within seconds, Zelda started laughing as well. They left the restaurant together and walked down the street leading to the marketplace.

"I will think of something…" Link said after a while.

"But don't be too mean, you hear?" she countered.

"Mean? Who? Me?"

"…" She chewed on her lower lip.

"I may be a little bit deceitful, but never mean. I promise."

"You always have to go one better, don't you?"

"Yep, and I'm proud of it."

They strolled around the middle age themed market that took place in Destinykeep this day. Link wasn't all that interested in markets of any sort, but Zelda really seemed to enjoy the atmosphere greatly. She walked ahead, watching the whole scenery closely, eagerly taking in every impression. She practically ran from one stall to another, marveling the vast variety of objects.

Besides flower-, weapon- and costume stalls, there were many attractions fighting for attention. In the middle of the marketplace a group of traveling artists showed their juggling abilities on unicycles. Next to the well, there was even a knight's tournament about to take place. Two actors in heavy suits of plate armor were facing each other. One wielded a two-handed sword, the other bore a battleaxe. They started dueling. That was a lot more to Link's taste; he elbowed his way to the first row, to have a clear look at the fight.

A few moments later Zelda stood at his side.

"Tell me something about you. If I'm going to live at your place, I want to get to know you better. What do you do, whenever you are not occupied with finding strange girls in the woods?"

"Well, my life isn't all that exciting. To be honest, most of my time I occupy with Zelda." Again he grinned because of the ambiguity of his words.

"You must be really crazy about this game."

"Yeah, but thank god I'm not alone with that. Apart from that I spend most of my time in nature. My friends and I often go fishing or riding or we do archery. So my life isn't that boring."

"I would have wondered would it be otherwise."

"But sometimes… I had…" he started, but didn't fully understand why he was about to confide this most delicate topic to her. Hardly anybody knew anything about his problems. He looked questioningly and with a glint of doubt into her eyes, smiled shyly and turned his head away bashfully.

"Link?"

"Oh… forget what I said. It's of no importance."

She gently placed her hand on his arm and smiled incisively. "It's okay… you don't need to tell me if you don't wish to. "

He couldn't help but smile in silence.

The combatants in the center of the plaza were getting serious now and started hitting each other with more force. Link studied their movements. Admittedly, they were only actors… but something about their technique seemed false in Link's eyes. You could see in his sincere expression that he was intently examining the battle scenario. Wrong. Wrong. Wrong, a voice in his head told him. But before he understood what he had just thought, the words had escaped his lips. Zelda watched him curiously.

"Wrong?" she asked.

"Yeah, somehow it is. I have the feeling that they are doing everything wrong they possibly can. Just watch their deficient footwork, their abysmal technique and the lack of expression in their style."

"So you could do better?" He had to laugh at that.

"Are you joking? I've never held a weapon in my hands, apart from a bow. I have no idea how to fight."

"But you act as if you were an expert, at least your criticism of their fighting style told me so." Link was flabbergasted. She was absolutely right. But still, he just knew that you should handle these weapons differently. He simply knew, but he didn't know wherefrom.

"Well, I stupidly got carried away. Right. I shouldn't pass judgment on that matter."

They continued watching the fight. Both warriors stroke at each other vehemently. Axe and sword crashed together repeatedly. Suddenly there was splintering of wood. The axe's wooden shaft had broken off. The sharp projectile flew in a high arc towards the crowd. Screams of fright echoed through the air. The rotating metal flew with enormous speed in Link's direction. Before he comprehended what was happening, the axe had reached him. Zelda cramped her eyes shut in shock. After a few seconds she dared to open them again.

Link had easily caught the speedy projectile. The two actors goggled at him, as thunderstruck as the surrounding crowd.

"Amazing, how did you do that?" Link blinked perplexedly and said: "Erm… must have had luck…" He handed the guy in the armor the damaged weapon.

Zelda eyed him warily. "For someone who has never before wielded a weapon, you are astonishingly good at handling them. My heart almost stopped there."

"Oh? Were you worried?"

"Yes… a little." They smiled at each other. No… impossible… They must have known each other for longer than two days…

"Well, in any case I seem to have a few yet unknown talents."

"Yes, thankfully."

They left the marketplace and strolled around town aimlessly. At one point, Link stayed behind and watched Zelda walking along the way. She remembered him of something. But what? Zelda also stopped, but didn't turn around.

"You said, you were dreaming about me?" Link uttered at last. That had interested him the whole time. "If you tell me about it, you will have proven your honor."

"Okay. I will tell you, I promise. When we are back at your place…"

"Good."

"Good."

The sun was setting and an ordinary spring-day was nearing its end when Link and Zelda opened the door and entered the Bravery-house. For Link the whole situation became ever more bizarre, yet more familiar. More and more demanding the question arose in his head, if he really had never met the girl before. He had pondered about it for quite a time now. He tried to recollect his memories of long past childhood days, thought about different faces of children he had known. Could Zelda's possibly be one among them? He couldn't find an answer.

Zelda noticed his ruminative expression when they sat down at the brown kitchen table.

"What are you thinking about so grimly?" He eyed her, confused. She had caught him completely off guard. He had been so oblivious of his surroundings that it took a while before he had found his way back into reality.

"You know, I have been wondering the whole time now, if I have seen you before somewhere."

"I feel the same. And although it is impossible for me to know you already, I seem to know perfectly what kind of person you are." She flashed him a smile. "And I thank you for everything you have done for me so far. Thank you." Link smiled as well. He is capable of smiling, without grinning in a silly way.

He then got up. "Shall we cook ourselves flummery?"

"What gave you that idea?"

"Well, I thought it would make for a nice dinner."

"Okay." They started preparing right away.

Link was standing at the stove while Zelda was occupied with setting the table in the living room. When she had finally found the plates and the cutlery – she had opened just about every single drawer of the wall unit and beyond – she turned the on the CD player. A, for her ears, unusual music sounded through the room. Many things felt very unusual to Zelda; the music, the radio itself…

She sat down at the table and indulged herself in nonsensical spheres of her mind.

Link took the pot from the stove and was about to carry it into the living room, when all of a sudden he broke into sweat and his vision narrowed and got blurry. He had almost forgotten his wounds and didn't realize what caused this qualm at first. He put the pot back on the working surface. His left hand found it's way to his stomach where he felt little stings of pain. He wobbled to the sink, turned on the faucet and splashed his face with chilly water. He slowly opened his eyes again and was relieved to have a clear vision again. From the lounge Irish music reached his ears. 'Isn't this Sara's music?', he thought. His little sister liked listening to mystical music. Sometimes so loud that she drove everyone else in the house, especially their parents, up the walls. Zelda must have discovered the radio…

Link gave it a second shot and took the pot. This time he just barely got to the living room before his vision blurred again. He immediately sat down on one of the chairs and placed the pot on the table. It took a few seconds before his thoughts got clear again. The injection he had gotten this morning must have ceased to have effect, because now the pain returned every few seconds, but it was bearable. He took a few deep breaths.

"Link?" Zelda asked. Only now she paid attention to his presence.

"What?"

"You are pale. Is it your wound?" Link looked at her, astonished. Apparently she really was a little worried about him.

"What's it to you? As if you had a clue." Link replied coldly. He had absolutely no inclination of telling her about the whereabouts of his injury. "Just leave me be."

Immediately he regretted his words, which unintentionally sounded really scornful. She looked away for a few seconds, then got up and uttered lowly: "Pardon me, I had no intention of intruding myself into your business."

Silence.

The strange girl strutted towards the stairs. "Zelda… wait. I didn't mean it like that." Link pleaded finally.

"I did understand it, however." She retorted angrily.

"Please, sit down again." He rued his words now immensely. She turned around and looked at him with serious eyes. So much insecurity was visible in them.

"I know it isn't easy for you and I really want to help you. It's just that…" he uttered.

"…that in spite of all, we are still strangers." she finished. Zelda was still staring emphatically at him with her crystal blue eyes. "You make the situation even more difficult for me, than it already is, Link. If you prompt it, I will leave at once. I do not know, if it was by accident that you found me. But I drew comfort in thinking that it had a purpose." A pause ensued.

"I meant what I said just now…"

Zelda's look had changed. There was neither anger nor unease in it any longer, but honest concern. Come on, Link, make an effort!

He rested his head on his hand and sighed: "Yes, you are right. It is the wound… I shouldn't have jumped at you that way. I didn't mean to, it just…"

Finally she sat back down. "Looks like you'll have to eat the flummery alone." Link mumbled. "I have no stomach for it right now."

The mystical music still played in the background, a reminder of long past times for both of them.

"Why don't you have a nap?" she suggested, expecting another rough answer. Fortunately it didn't come.

The young man stood up and lied down on the living room couch. Yes, she was right of course, all he needed was a few moments of resting. After a few minutes he was fast asleep.

Zelda tiptoed towards the door. It was quite late in the evening already. Link was still fast asleep. She took the dishes away as silently as possible and slowly closed the door behind her. Link should have as much sleep as he needed. She made her way to the kitchen and tossed the tableware into the dishwasher but she had to admit that she had absolutely no clue as how to operate it. That thing was apparently a tad more complicated than the radio.

She snuck back into the living room and carefully dimmed up the light of the floor lamp just enough to be able to clearly see Link's face.

He didn't look good, even paler than before. Her worries about him grew every second. But why? She did not know him… did she?

From the radio a soothing harp music was playing. The gentle tones were comforting to her ears… so very familiar. She sat down in one of the armchairs, leaned back and closed her eyes to get away from it all, until she slowly drifted away, to a place where she could find the answers she desired.

Zelda opened her eyes and looked in awe upon a giant garden. How did she get here? She followed a narrow path, paved with white stone, towards a small pond. Wherever you looked there were noteworthy sculptures of graceful beings, which Zelda could identify as dragons, gods, angels or magical creatures of a different kind.

She continued to look around, noting dozens of little pathways that led through the garden. At the edges grew white roses, neatly planted at each side of the ways. She randomly picked a path and followed it until she reached a large tree, its old branches holding a worn swing.

Dreamily she sat down on it and swung a little back and forth. Now that she was in the air she experienced even more of this marvelous place. Her gaze fell upon the high walls of an enormous castle; its towers seemed to soar right into the sky. A person stood at one of the windows and waved at her.

She waved back, although she didn't know the person. It was a elder man, with grey hair and blue eyes. She was not acquainted with the man, whose old face showed a pleasant smile, but she somehow felt a connection to him. She decided to look away…

Zelda opened her eyes once again. The song that had filled the air before had ended. She switched off the radio and went to look after still sleeping Link.

Yes, she was in genuine concern about him. How silly of me, she thought. He was simply a youth, possibly not quite as normal as most, but still… Why should she interfere in his life?

Surely he was better off without her being ever present, always causing worries for him. They didn't know each other… not really…

She was about to leave the room, when she caught herself going back to him once again. Her gaze remained on his face for a few moments before she placed her hand on his forehead. He had quite a temperature now. She took a blanket from a basket standing at the wall and covered him carefully. He didn't move a single time.

"Good night, Link", she whispered and vanished from sight when the light in the living room went out.

On the following day Link was woken up by a low hum, coming from the kitchen. A high, beautiful voice sung and the song affected him deeply somehow. Dazed, he opened his blue eyes and glanced around. Oh yeah, right… he had fallen asleep on the couch. But what about the blanket? Where'd that come from? His attention focused back on the lovely voice. He tried to sit up, which he managed, but it cost him lots of his energy. He leaned back and closed his eyes again. The voice came closer… How enchanting the song was that this wonderful mouth brought forth.

When Zelda finally stood in front of him, he reopened his eyes. She had a glass of water in her hand and two pills in her other, which he identified as pain-killers.

"Good morning…" she said. He was a little shy to look at her directly.

"Good morning…"

She sat down beside him and handed him the pills and the water.

"I took the liberty of calling the doctor again while you were asleep. He gave me those for you." He choked them down.

"Why are you doing all this for me?" he asked lowly.

"I owe you quite a lot, Link." He still dared not look at her. Zelda got up and explained: "I also did the groceries already. Your mother left us a list with the stuff we should get. The money was in the white box in the cupboard, where I also put the change. I got the bill, so you can…"

He interrupted her with a weak voice: "You don't have to do that, Zelda."

"Yes, I think I do. And that's at least something I _can_ do."

"But…"

"Just be quiet already." He goggled at her in surprise. Zelda had things firmly under her control now. She wouldn't put up with his moods from now on.

"By the way, since I have absolutely no idea about how to navigate in a shopping center, I got help." Link looked at her curiously.

"Help?"

"Yes, there were two nice boys, who for some reason really wanted to carry my bags."

"Oh…" Link uttered. He knew exactly why these guys had behave like this. Most probably two Zelda-freaks who just wanted to do her a favor. Apart from that, Zelda really was pretty like the most perfect piece of art.

"Say… who were these two guys?" Link tried to ask nonchalantly, attempting to keep his arising jealousy under control. He couldn't contemplate the burning strength of this feeling.

"Their names were Josh and Hendrick, I think. Why would you ask?"

Link waved his hands around in the air, hoping that it didn't make him even more suspicious than he already was.

"Just curious…" it blurted out of him. But he knew the two guys. Josh and Hendrick were twins, though not identical, and both attended high school. Link had a few classes a week with them and knew their nerve-stretching humor all too well. Still, they were both good people and Link was somehow under the impression, that Zelda could tell precisely who was trustworthy and who wasn't. After just one glance, she knew about a being's hidden intentions. Possibly, she didn't even realize this remarkable ability…

She knelt down before him and sighed. "You really are masterful in making me worry, you know that, you little dummy?" He didn't know, what he should answer.

"Are you hungry?" she asked, watching him with a warm smile.

"Yea, I guess."

"We still got Raspberry-flummery." She mused jokingly. The corner's of his mouth finally went up again. She was about to go back into the kitchen when he held her back on her arm.

"About yesterday… I am sorry…"

"You don't need to apologize. It's okay. Stay here, I will get you something." With a smile she vanished around the corner. Link sighed deeply, trying not to loose his grasp on reality. This girl sure was something. She already had the whole situation down pat. Not only had she managed the whole shopping, something he tried to avoid whenever he could, but she had also notified Dar Gordon again to help him. Apparently she really was an angel…

Link really felt like a jerk now. How could he ever have snapped at Zelda in the way he did the day before? What was he thinking? He was utterly furious with himself.

He took the remote control of the TV and zapped through the channels. How tedious Mondays can be! Only documented idiocy on every channel. After a few minutes, the pain-killers were astonishingly well working, Link stood up and stretched. Spending the night on the couch wasn't the best of ideas. Still, he felt quite well, enough at least to play a little trick on Zelda. He should have considered that little pranks often have dire consequences…

He positioned himself right next to the door, dexterously and above all silently, so there was no way Zelda could see or hear him. There he waited patiently (more or less) for her return. A grin appeared on his face. If she brought the flummery, she would probably regret it soon after… heehee…

It came exactly as Link had foreseen it. Zelda carried a tablet with two bowls of flummery and a decent breakfast. She entered through the door, and…

Before she knew what was happening, Link had grabbed one of the bowls and ran into the faraway corner of the room. Zelda couldn't grasp the sense behind this action and eyed him in a perturbed way. He took the spoon, shoveled up a good chunk of the pink mass and presented a silly grin in Zelda's direction. Then he fired.

Zelda's dazzled expression would have been a source of mirth for many hours, but the pudding flew fast and landed right in her face. Fury and indignation sparkled now in her eyes.

"You… just you wait!" she shouted. Zelda put the tray down, wiped the goo off her face, took the other bowl and joined the fight. She aimed directly at his face, but he dodged and the pudding hit his mother's loved wall unit.

"Oh, oh…" Link thought, when he noticed the slimy substance slowly run down the glass front, leaving a pink trail. In the meantime, Zelda had hurled a large serving at him, and… it hit his throat! One-on-one!

Now the wall unit and any other piece of furniture were forgotten. This was one challenge he would certainly not let go unanswered. They continued throwing the flummery and in a matter of seconds the living room resembled a battlefield. Pudding everywhere! On the chandelier, the cupboard, the light colored couch, the ceiling, the floor, the walls.

It was Zelda's turn and she aimed quickly. He dodged and jumped on the couch, looked back at Zelda, who had only feinted.

"Go on, you won't hit me anyway."

"We shall see about that." she laughed. She now opened fire as quickly as possible until her bowl was empty. Still, it didn't seem as if she had hit him once. He was too quick, even with his giant wound on his belly.

Link now stood at the door. "Do you admit defeat? I won." he said defiantly. He had hit Zelda more often and knew about his triumph. Unthinkable for him to loose a challenge.

"Of course…" She ran up to him. "…Not! I never surrender." Link saw it coming and dived out of the room. Apparently she tried to catch him. He ran up the stairs. But Zelda didn't follow. Hm, this cheeky angel is trying to trick me, Link thought. Carefully, he snuck down again, one step… after another. He tiptoed towards the door of the living room and risked a glance inside.

Hm, where had she gone? Link went inside, but there was no Zelda to be found. He looked into every corner, still so silently, that not the faintest noise was audible. No clue to Zelda's whereabouts. Link looked in the kitchen and in practically all the other rooms and even in the second floor.

Finally he went back into the kitchen and sat down with a sulky face.

"You can come out, you won." he grunted. Zelda knew his own house better than he did, how utterly devastating. He had lost.

A few minutes passed but she didn't show up.

"Zelda?" Nothing happened. There was nothing remotely funny about the situation now.

"Hey, you won!" he called, but no-one answered. Link, feeling a glimmer of worry, jumped up and looked through all the rooms again. He then ran into the cellar and turned on the light. She wasn't there.

This can't be! Where in the world was she?

"Zelda! This is not funny anymore, come out already." his voice boomed through the cellar.

Suddenly he felt a warm hand on his shoulder, turned around and saw an devilishly grinning Zelda. "Your turn!" and hastened away. Link remained for a second and suppressed a strange feeling in his interior. He looked after her like in trance, his blue eyes replete with faint sensation of fear that Zelda might suddenly vanish into thin air. He had truly imagined that she was gone…

"Wait!" he shouted.

"For what? So that you can catch me?" She turned around and looked at him in the dusty light of the cellar-lamp. He successfully suppressed the feeling and grinned.

"No. Wait for the insight that you won't get away from me anyway."

"You would like that, wouldn't you?" She sped away like crazy and back into the living room. That's where she happened to leave the spilt pudding and her speed out of the equation. She could feel how the floor slipped away under her feet and the gooey substance eliminated friction perfectly.

She tried to catch herself but the gravitation was too powerful. Link was right behind her and was unable to stop and fell too. She shrieked in panic and then laughed when she bumped on her back and on the rug. Link also started laughing when he unfortunately landed on her. The cackled until their tummies hurt. Then they looked at each other sheepishly.

"I am still the winner." He said and looked right into her eyes.

"Yes, I give up."

Then there was silence. It was a peculiar feeling to be so close together, although they knew each other for only this short a time. The were still looking at each other. Link's hands moved towards her shoulders, then towards her golden hair. His pulse rose and his gaze wandered instinctively towards her full, soft lips. Zelda's right hand moved towards his neck where still a little flummery was sticking. His skin underneath was cozily warm. Her left hand touched his upper arm. She was astonished by the muscles under the cloth.

A wonderful smile appeared on her face, which Link would have done anything for. I would die for this girl and her smile, a voice in his head murmured, which he recognized as his own.

Then, possibly at the perfectly right moment, a little drop of pudding dropped from the ceiling and hit Link's right ear. He felt the slimy substance and looked around before wiping it off.

They let go of each other, stood up and turned their back at each other.

"So… will you… grant me a chance to get even?"

"Yes… sure… sure." He stuttered and felt like a complete imbecile. He asked himself, how far he had gone, if the flummery hadn't intervened.

Two hours and a boatload of cleanser later they had managed to be more or less rid of the pudding. Zelda was just scrubbing the expensive wall unit when Link mopped the floor one last time. When everything was finally as clean as before, they silently sat down at the table and had breakfast, although it was almost lunchtime already.

"Erm, Zelda? About your amnesia…"

"Yes? What about it?" She took a sip of her coffee.

"Do you think we should go to the police and ask whether there are any missing person reports registered? It would be a start in the search of your identity."

She put the coffee mug down on the table, looked away and clenched her hands. "I don't know if that is truly a good idea…"

"What? Why not?" She stood up and walked towards the window. She pulled the curtain away a little and watched a few small children race down the street with skateboards. She encompassed the medallion around her neck with her right hand.

"I know, I can't continue to be a burden on you forever, Link. And I give you my most profound thanks."

"What are you getting at?" Link now stood at her side, trying to look in her eyes. She turned away and sat down again. She didn't want to trouble him with her forebodings, which, in her opinion, were just stupid sentiments.

Something wasn't right here. She could feel… it was everywhere… in the air, in the people, even in everyday objects. Everything was so alien, so odd, even the sun's light. Then she felt two warm hands on her shoulders.

Link said softly: "Tell me."

He sat down besides her.

"What would you do, if you could feel, if you were absolutely convinced, that something about you is… wrong?" She looked at him empathically, hoping for a sincere answer.

"I would listen to myself, but try to find proof and then try to find out, what it is, that is wrong."

"And if you feared that doing so could cause harm to yourself and others?" She looked at her hands. They trembled.

"I would await and attempt to keep my head clear for the things that matter. Time can work wonders." She looked at him. Once again, the blue of her eyes seemed to be concealed by shadow. Link feared that this shadow could engulf her as whole.

"That's… exactly what I try to do at the moment." Link understood. She wanted to wait.

"Maybe you're right. But we could still be vigilant for clues, hm?"

She nodded. "I only feel that I would make a grave mistake, if I were to go to the police. The reason escapes me, but the feeling is strong, still. It is, as if I could actually endanger myself… I know that sounds obtuse, but…"

He gently put his index finger on her lips. "Shhh. It does not. It's alright. There are other ways to find out who you are. But first you've got to stop calling your ideas stupid."

She showed a thanking smile.

"And by the way, I wasn't sure whether going to the police was a good idea myself. I only wanted to hear your opinion. Regardless there's one thing I'd like to know." Link announced.

"And that is?"

"Your dream. You promised you would tell me, right?" he smiled and the shadow that besieged her eyes vanished.

"Yes, I guess I did give my word."

Link and Zelda strolled outside to have a little fresh air. They got comfortable on a garden swing that stood in the Bravery's garden. It was by no means a park, but it was still a place to relax.

Link crossed his arms behind his head and closed his eyes. The swing started to rock and Link had to yawn.

"So, tell me again about your dream. Was it interesting or exciting?" he asked and astonishingly enough he managed to reopen his eyes. It looked, as if it wasn't easy for him.

"Well, actually it was rather confusing…"

"Confusing?"

"Yes, a little weird…"

He didn't answer to that. This dream of hers became more interesting by the second. The swing rocked back and forth. A pause ensued.

"I was standing in the narrow passageway of an enormous city. Peculiar stores, selling the most unthinkable objects, were at my left and right. I can't seem to remember anything they offered me, I'm afraid."

"Did you, perchance, know this city?" She quickly turned to face him, apparently taken aback by his question.

"No, I don't think so, although it seemed vaguely familiar."

"Aha."

"Anyway, I continued on my way, until I reached a tall stone wall that winded its way around the city. A vast number of soldiers were posted on and around it. I followed the wall until I left the city through an almost child-sized door."

Link blinked at her. "So far your dream is harmless, yet interesting. How often do you get the opportunity to see a foreign city?"

"Mmh…" Zelda stood up and stared into a small pond in front of the swing, where a few goldfish were swimming. She knelt down and dipped her hand into the cool water, while the fish strangely sought the closeness to her skin. She relished even the smallest things this world could offer her, and should it be only a few goldfish. Life, in her eyes, had an unfathomable value, and nothing could ever call that into question.

She sat back onto the swing. Link had closed his eyes again and sighed softly. She looked at him for a long time, for the more she studied his face, the more certain and persistent got the feeling of knowing him for a long time.

"Link?"

"Huh? Erm… yes, what is it? Oh man, I was almost about to fall asleep."

"Yes, one was under the impression that nothing and no-one could ever wake you again. "

"Well, I let myself be raised out of sleep by you, right?"

"That would depend on whether you believe that this is reality or not."

Link tilted his head a little.

"I am fairly sure that this is in fact reality."

Zelda returned his look in a very thoughtful way.

"What tells you that? Who tells you that?" Link blinked a few times and had to think twice on her words… finding a decent answer to that seemed quite a challenge.

"Let's look at it this way: I just don't want to constantly doubt that I truly am, because it would make my life miserable. As it is, it isn't bad… I am the one who tells me that this is real, Zelda."

"This is quite an optimistic point of view."

"Sounds logical. I am an optimist."

"Nothing can discompose you, can it?"

Link grinned at her. The look on his face was worth its weight in gold.

"There are a few feats required, before I lose my composure."

"Maybe I will manage to pull off such a feat, if I tell you how my dream continues."

"Well, let's hear it then."

Zelda proceeded to tell him about her dream. She described ginormous grasslands she wandered through, a beaten track leading her to a large solitary tree. She knew that she was supposed to meet someone in this very spot, so she sat down under the wide canopy of leaves and leaned back against the rough tree trunk.

"I abided for a long time and watched eagles in the distance. They glided towards a dark valley and vanished out of sight in the remoteness. In the meantime evening had already conquered the sky and I marveled the sun, painting the clouds in red, warm colors as it set…"

"I have to say, your dreams are exceptionally extensive. And you really remember so many details?"

"Yes… crazy, isn't it?"

"No, I'd rather say, extraordinary…" Link mused. She looked at him and smiled. Crossing her arms she continued, more silently than before.

"Eventually I get company. Someone I did not expect. I hear some kind of mumbling and suddenly someone jumps down from the tree. Said person sits down at my side we talk. That's the moment I realize that I did wait all the time for this one person to appear."

"How did this person look? Was it a man or a woman?"

"It was a young man."

"Aha, and do you remember him? Someone from your past, someone you should know?"

Zelda leaned back and now closed her eyes as well. Link's gaze remained on her, studying her intently, now that she wouldn't notice his staring.

"I feel like I should, and still… no. It is not possible that he is part of my past."

"Why not?"

She opened her eyes. Link's view was still fixed on her features.

"Because it doesn't make any sense… in any conceivable way. Anyway, he still sat beside me, grabbed a grass stalk and started chewing on it. I can even remember a few words of his. They were along the lines of: 'Zelda, no matter what it is you want to believe, this is not a dream.' Then he jumped up, grabbed my hand, yanked me up on my feet, not violently, just enthusiastically, and dragged me with him. We ran across the huge grasslands until I eventually woke up. It was a very delightful dream."

Link looked at the small pond with stern eyes. Dream or not, but didn't Zelda forget to tell him something? Didn't she initially say that she dreamt about him?

Zelda got up and slowly strolled towards the back entrance.

"Erm, Zelda?"

"Yes?"

"This young man you spoke of… how did he look?" She looked away, tentativeness clearly visible in her eyes and said: "He had your face, Link…" With that said, she went inside.

The dawn of the next day was breaking. Link planned to show Zelda the spot where he discovered her. They walked along a narrow path deep into the forest. Zelda watched the water's flow in the stream. She could not live with herself if she troubled these kind people much longer. She hoped to get her memory back soon.

"Link, I know you only mean well, but I can't linger forever. That just would not be right. My conscience is already scolding me."

Link knew, she was thinking that way. "Who knows what time might bless us with? Wait a few weeks, let the things come back. Maybe we find a point of reference. Could be sooner than you think. Come, this way."

"You sure seem to know your way around these woods."

"Like no other! They're like my second home."

It was a truly beautiful day. Warm rays of sunlight shimmered through the juicy-green tree crowns and glittered in the cool water of the stream. A few white veils of mist floated over the sky. Zelda started to run. With outstretched arms she enjoyed the wind caressing her skin.

"It is so wonderful here." she called back at Link.

Link waved at her: "Look! That is precisely the place I found you."

Zelda studied the area closely. "I dreamed about this place… but I never knew that I have actually been here before."

"When did you dream about it?"

"Yesterday…"

Zelda cast a long glance at the creek and imagined how she must have looked in the eyes of a stranger, lying face down in the water. She asked him: "Did you only help me because of my resemblance to Zelda?"

Link turned around, looked at her face, smiled and then laughed.

"Hey, I was being serious!"

"Oh, forgive me. Every player of Zelda would have helped you, had he noticed your semblance. That, however, is quite impossible in a foggy night and in the position you were in. Now listen, do you honestly deem me so bad a person that you can picture me abandoning you, only because you are a stranger?" She shook her head. "And again, I _wouldn't even have found you_, hadn't the moon shone fortuitously, and if the fog hadn't chosen to recede from this place. So there was no way I could even have made out your appearance."

"Wait a minute, it was _nighttime_?" She sounded aghast. Only now she fully grasped the diminutive probability of her rescue, only now she fully realized that she would be dead, had he come only moments later.

"And the fact that it was this very night I chose to go out at night, was already more than normal luck. I don't think anyone else had but the slightest chance of finding you."

They remained silent and still for a while.

"I have to thank you once again."

"It's okay. Let's go."

For a long time she plodded behind him, only seeing the blonde strands of hair on the back of his head.

"You are a highly reputable person, do you know that?"

Link turned around and looked with ingenious eyes into hers.

"Of course I know I am the nicest, friendliest, smartest and best looking man far and wide."

"Thank god you are not conceited in any way."

"I? I wouldn't dream of it!" He laughed, and she joined in.

For a few more hours Link showed off his woods, occasionally meeting some people who also went there for a stroll. When they reached a little lake, they sat down at its shore to have a little breather. A few men and women were scattered around the bank of the lake, relaxing, and sometimes casting wondering glances at them. Probably because no-one had seen Zelda's face before. A few children at about primary school age were frolicking around. One boy, hardly ten years old, gaped wide-eyed at Zelda and whispered in his friends' ears. "You see, I'm not the only one to notice that you and Princess Zelda look somewhat alike."

"Well, look who's in the position to compare my looks." Link was going to get it now.

"What's that?"

"Do you know what you look like?"

Link shrugged.

"You only lack the hat." Link reached up unconsciously, the he got her meaning and yanked his hand back down, fist clenched. "Now, you're going too far."

Link marched off towards a patch of grass and sat down on it. Not far away a young woman was sitting, about 25 years of age. Link was positive that he had never seen this person before. She was tanned darkly, wore a white top, a matching pair of cloth trousers and had fiery red hair. For the people around her, she seemed just as much of an eye-catcher as Zelda was.

When Zelda walked past her, she quickly looked up, bearing a moderately shocked expression. She then placed her eyesight on Link, who was fascinated by the golden color of her eyes, which seemed to radiate like tiny stars. She smiled and gave him a wink. Link didn't understand this reaction, looked away for a few seconds but then he cast another curious look. In the meantime she had started a telephone call and talked rapidly with someone. Link attempted to understand what she was saying.

"What's wrong?" Zelda asked.

"Shush!" As much as he tried, trying to understand but one word proved to be impossible. She was talking in Italian, apparently. "Sì, è qui, nel bosco di Destinykeep. Anche lui; l'accompagna. Sì, sono bene entrambi."

Link spoke a little bit Italian, but this lady kept talking much too rapidly. He probably was only being paranoid anyway…

Trying to get his mind off the redhead, he let himself drop down on his back and closed his eyes. Strange… from the moment of Zelda's arrival he somehow felt better. He was less burdened by troubles and worries, just carefree and happy. Even the until then ever-present poring over his life seemed gone. Unimportant were his dreams and fears now. He would enjoy being here, would enjoy her presence, which already was very precious... crazy.

He opened his eyes and noticed Zelda squatted down and hugging herself on the grass, staring at the lake. She seemed to be miles away in her thoughts.

Link looked at her dreamily bewitched by her graceful silhouette. A thought jerked through his brain. Had her vital spirits been lost when he found her in the woods, he would never have forgiven himself. She seemed so far away, when her look appeared to leave this world for one made of dreams. She was so close and yet, so unreachable. This feeling was surreal. The fact that she was here, felt surreal. Her aura, which Link sensed… surreal.

He couldn't resist any longer and moved towards her. If only he could hold her and feel assured that she won't disappear…

Holy Deku! Why was he so drawn to her, he wondered.

He placed his hand on her shoulder and asked: "Are you alright?"

At first, Zelda was surprised but then she expressed her thoughts: "I am wondering, how long I am going to be here. As a matter of fact, I feel very comfortable here. I mean to say, this world is really beautiful."

The answer he was about to say was burning in Link's soul: "I don't see any reason, why you should not be allowed to stay. It is your decision, you know?"

"No, it is not… I believe, there is a very important reason for me to be here. There exists something greater, more powerful in the world, and the fact that I tried to ignore this was a stupid and pathetic mistake. A mistake I won't be able to atone for."

Link found himself rendered speechless. He thought he saw a tear drop down from her cheek.

He slid even closer and whispered directly into her ear: "I think the name Zelda suits you perfectly."

She smiled again, softer and more veiled by other emotions, but at least she smiled.

"Say, how's your wound?"

"Nothing. I don't notice it and I think it is really starting to heal now."

"You got it even before you found me, didn't you?"

"Yep."

"I meant to ask you some time now, how did you get it, actually? I'm just too curious, sorry."

"At that time, I was playing Zelda. I dozed off somehow and had a really horrible dream. Only, id felt in no way like a dream, more like reality, or something even worse. I couldn't move… if Sara hadn't been there to force me to wake up, I'd probably… I wouldn't have survived."

Zelda looked aghast.

"I guess I really am a freak, huh?"

"We both are."

At the rocky lakeshore a few meters away a little boy was hopping about happily. Suddenly he slipped and landed in the ice-cold water. He struggled in panic, sank down, came up one more time and then vanished in the dark green depth. The attendant crowd was shouting in exasperation.

Link jumped up and hesitated not a moment. Zelda was running behind him. "Link, your wound!" she just shouted. But he was already diving into the water.

The lake felt strange, not like normal water, but almost… dry. How was this possible? Actual swimming wasn't possible. The way Link had to struggle along was more like wading through thick mud. He was going much too slow; already the air in his lungs was almost gone.

He saw the boy lying motionlessly on the ground and fought his way through to him. He managed to barely grab his collar and pushed himself off upwards. After a few strenuous strokes he breached through the surface and fresh, desperately needed air filled his lungs. Link swam towards the bank and saw a few people standing there. They immediately hauled the boy ashore.

"Link!" Zelda smiled and extended her hand for him. He took hold of it, surprised at how warm and soft it felt to the touch. With a groan Link stood back on dry land.

"Whew… pretty cold, that."

The child's parents came scuttling towards them and thanked him over and over.

"Don't mention it."

When Link saw the boy and wanted to make sure that he was well, his eyes seemed to change. He was positive, that he had seen green eyes before, but suddenly they were flashing in a vile yellow and he said almost inaudibly, only for Link to hear: "You will bitterly regret your life… little maggot…"

Link appalled and jerked back. A familiar, but odious feeling returned, remembering him of his convincement that something was happening. Something was afoot.

The young lady with her fire-red hair came up to Link and Zelda.

"You just can't resist saving everyone in your surrounding, can you?" A faint Italian accent was audible in her articulation. She extended her hand.

"I am Naranda Comandante and I am new around here. I head the international antiquities exhibition program called 'Another Folk'. We're going to establish a little branch of our main museum here. I hope you two will find the time to stop by one of these days. By the way, your attempted rescue of the boy was both brave and unwise of you."

"What do you mean by 'attempted'? I did save him, or did I not?"

"Maybe… but his little cute children's eyes betray the coldhearted wrath of a defeated demon."

Link felt a shudder run down his spine upon hearing this. He took Zelda's hand and said: "Come, we're going."

It was the sweetest of feelings, holding her hand, walking along the path through the woods. He was almost disappointed when they reached the front door of his house.

No word had been uttered since the strange scene at the lake. Link had to admit that what he had heard was quite unsettling. He had truly been under the impression that the child's eyes had glowed. Bullshit! The important thing is that everything turned out well.

Link was still dripping wet when he entered the house. He immediately ran upstairs inside the bathroom to run himself a bath. He also turned up the heating and then ran up inside his room. The moment he opened the cabinet door, something came clattering down at him. Oh, there it is, he said to himself. He put it on the desk, grabbed a few pieces of clothing and fast as lightning he was back inside the bathroom.

Zelda was astounded by the energy he still had in him. Link was seriously hurt and still, day after day he displayed astonishing strength. Zelda would have never admitted it, but she was somewhat impressed.

She walked into his room and saw something glittery lying on the desk. It was a ornate, white ocarina. Was that possible? Link actually possessed an Ocarina.

"It's so beautiful…" Without hesitation, Zelda took the musical instrument in her hand. It proved to be heavier than she had thought. She guided the piece of art to her lips and played a few notes. Its sound was high, tender and, above all, pure. Zelda sat down on the fluffy blanket on Link's bed, closed her eyes and played again. She didn't play anything comprehensible, nothing that made sense in any way, or formed a melody. She was just trying out tones…

When Link entered the room, she was still playing. She wasn't disturbed by his presence. Zelda opened her eyes and noticed him sitting right beside her.

"Wow, you can really play the ocarina? Great!"

"Can't you?"

"No, I'm unmusical."

Zelda shook her head and handed it to him. Link had been right though, he already failed, as he took it into his hands. How do you hold it, like this or like that… Links brain was riddled with question marks.

Zelda giggled. "Very funny…" Link growled.

"I had been certain that you knew how to play."

"Maybe you think me superhuman."

"No, but someone special."

Link had nothing to add to that. He took the ocarina back in his hands. But he almost let it drop again, so unexpected was, what followed next. Zelda positioned herself behind him, cross-legged, wrapped her arms around him and touched his hands that held the ocarina.

"Like this." She said and helped him hold the musical instrument in the correct way. She placed her fingertips on his. Four hands played an instrument that was meant for two. Both closed their eyes in unison. The tones formed a soft, but sad melody… a melody of remembrance; it lived in memories and would do so for eternity…

After a few minutes Zelda's hands released his and Link played alone. Indeed, he could play it. Very well so in fact.

The melody had shaken awake something ancient in Zelda. Ancient and long forgotten. She remembered how often she had heard these sounds and how often she had created them herself. This melody…

Outside, the street lamps were already alight and the moon was high up in the sky. Darkness was creeping about Link's room. Link ended his playing, a little bewildered by his sudden talent in playing the ocarina, and a little flustered, because Zelda still sat behind him and had leaned against his back. Was she asleep? The feeling of being so close to Zelda, was so familiar; her body closely against his, so soothing. He remained sitting on his bed for a few minutes when he suddenly heard a low sobbing. Was she crying?

He slowly turned around. Link too had memories of this melody, even if he had no idea from where they might have come. Their sound was like a stab in his heart.

"Oh, Zelda…" In the darkness he could only sense her outline. Maybe that was the reason, why he could muster the courage to put his arms tightly around her. There had always been the will to be close, to protect her and now, he only did what he thought was right.

"You know, the only reason I was able to find you in the woods, was because you called me…" He touched her right cheek. He could feel the trail of her tears. "Cry no more."

Zelda fell asleep in his arms.


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 4: Danger

When Zelda woke up it was already around noon. She was still huddled up in Link's comfy bed. What had happened the day before anyway?

She had felt so close to her memories when her thoughts were accompanied by this melody that sang to her heart.

But nothing had really returned. Only a faint image of her, wandering in the woods and holding an ocarina in her hand. She only saw her own steps and the end of her long silken dress. Then, even this tiny fragment vanished and she could no longer remember how the forest had looked.

She snuggled up under the blanket. It was so wonderfully comfortable there. She loved hugging the fluffy blanket and the soft pillow, dreaming and wallowing in her secret fantasies. She mumbled: "No, I won't get up, Im..."

At once she was wide awake, trying hard to remember, what had just been about to say. A name, yes... but whose? She guessed that at least gradually things were coming back to her.

Suddenly an appetizing smell caressed her nose, which tempted her enough to get up after all. She struggled out of bed and followed the scent. She ended up in the kitchen.

Can you believe that; Link was cooking. He stood in front of the stove, watching two pots while humming a little tune. The view alone was enough to make Zelda laugh. Smiling, he turned his head towards her and said: "Don't laugh, that is about the only dish I won't mess up. Except pudding of course."

"Is that so? Well, for that it smells excellent." Zelda looked over his shoulder. Ah, spaghetti it is then.

"How 'bout good morning first..." Link said, which got him another smile and indeed a morning greeting.

She marveled at the big pot with noodles and the smaller one with the ketchup-red sauce. She sniffed at it and smiled once again.

It was, as if the night's sleep had changed her completely. Link was a little anxious about her sudden change of demeanor and wondered, if she was really as okay as she seemed. He continued to eye her incisively for a while, then asked: "Is there anything that you remembered since yesterday?"

"No, at first I thought that something was coming back, but the whiff died down."

"Okay then."

Link turned around to face her. "Would you like to do something today? The shops are open, so, if you like, we could have a stroll through town."

"Yes, I would like that."

The doorbell rang. "Wait here, I'll open. Could you watch over the sauce?"

Before Zelda could say yes, Link had already sprinted towards the entrance.

First he looked through the door viewer and upon recognizing the person behind it, he opened. It was the about 35 year-old postman Cornelius, as always wearing his red pullover with the ugly and childish motive of a bunny at the front. Link knew the guy, because from time to time he would distribute newspapers or leaflets himself to improve his allowance.

"Hi" he mumbled.

"Morning. You've got mail." And already he shoved a few letters and a large box in Links hands. After a quick signature to prove that Link had taken the delivery, the postman ran off with lightning speed. Link had a look at the letters and found one without sender. Strange, he thought and shook the envelope a little, to make sure that there was nothing fishy in it.

He tore the envelope open and, without any patience, began to unfold the paper and started to read the delicate handwriting.

The letter was addressed to him and there was a distinct warning in the few sentences. An explicit advice to be very careful from now on.

"Things will happen, that affect the destiny of your very soul."

Link had to read this sentence twice, to even rudimentarily grasp its full meaning.

He skimmed through the words a third time, assuring once again, that they really were meant for him. He remained in the dimly lit corridor, completely lost in thought.

Maybe the time had come. Maybe there was no turning back and Link had finally the opportunity to prove his worth, to prove what potential was hidden within. All answers had to be so close that Link only had to extend his hand and take hold of them. Destiny apparently ran its course more unquestionably, even in this world...

Link placed the large box in front of his mother's bedroom and suspected that yet another expansive vase had found its way into her collection. It was a passion of Mera's, every vase that she deemed usable to a minimal extent had to have a place in her house.

The letter was thrown into the bin and Link padded back into the kitchen, where Zelda, with an air of slight desperation on her face, was standing in front of the stove and tried to wipe up the boiled over water from the pot. She grinned and tried to appear as innocent as a lamb when she made moon-eyes at Link.

"Errr..." she errred. "the water didn't want to cooperate with me... sorry." Link had to laugh at that.

"What's happened has happened. No need to apologize." He stepped close and quickly wiped the over the hob.

"I believe you are not meant for the household anyway." he added while rummaging for two dark-blue plates for pasta.

She absentmindedly sat down on the corner bench and supported her head on her arms. For a few seconds she just closed her eyes, enjoyed the moment dreamily. There was this one thought...

He was right, she never had to do any chores before. She had never done any such things as cook or clean. It was almost, as if it was prohibited from bothering about such lowly work. A hidden memory, newly inflaming the feeling of loss. She knew it, she understood...

Link's voice tore her from her exploration of her own mind when he whispered in her ear: "Are you sleeping?" She jumped and bumped her head heavily against his.

"That was rather unpleasant." Link moaned and rubbed his thankfully quite hard skull.

Zelda was holding her head, feeling for a bump. "You're telling me? I'm afraid my head isn't quite as resilient as yours." she mumbled. But at the end, a smile flashed over her face when Link started to laugh.

"Shall I help you with the cutlery?"

He shook his head. "Rubbish! You stay seated. I'm gonna set the table."

And again there was this odd feeling... she had never set a table in her life, at least that is what her sixth sense told her.

Her eyes watched every step that Link took and was infinitely grateful that he was there. Although, she had to remind herself, he was still a stranger and she only knew him for two days.

Link got the eating irons, laid them neatly beside the plates and then vanished into the basement. He quickly returned though, a bottle of orange juice in his hand which he placed on the table as well. After that he stretched to reach at two glasses from the topmost shelf of the cupboard. All the while Zelda stared at him, scrutinizing his lean body and his every move. Oh my, he was uncannily attractive. But for some reason she did not want to see or know that, almost as if somebody had forbidden her to watch handsome people more closely.

Sheepishly, her eyes wandered to another corner of the room, looking for another activity than marveling at his physique. Did he have a girlfriend? Surely, she thought...

He sat down across from her, smiling. He started loading up the plates with spaghetti. "Much or not so much sauce?"

"It can be a little bit more." she answered and continued watching how he took on every bit of work for her. God, it was so familiar. This situation between them, as if they had eaten together for years. She looked smiling into his deep blue eyes that could hypnotize. A pure, dark color, not washed out or pale. She adored this color and imagined descending into and getting lost in it.

"Is it any good?" Link asked almost anxiously and crammed a huge portion of noodles into his mouth.

"Delicious!" she replied and had to grin an account of his insufferable table manners. But she wasn't surprised; again, as if she knew perfectly well about his constant questioning the usefulness of fork and knife. He grinned as well in his sly, silly way but avoided her inquisitive look.

Only now she noticed the silver earring in his left earlobe. Without thinking what she was doing, she leaned across the table and touched the small, simple piece.

Link jerked back and looked surprised. "What is it?" he asked.

"Err..." she said a little embarrassed. "Your earring caught my eye..."

"Oh, that..." he mumbled and touched it himself. "It was a present from Sara for my 16th birthday. Probably because she had no clue what to buy me that I could use and... well... she insisted that I wear the thing."

"It looks good on you." Zelda said and took a sip of juice.

"I know..." he remarked and emptied his plate.

_All of a sudden Zelda was up. She staggered towards the kitchen window and gripped the rough windowsill almost painfully. Breathing heavily, she looked outside through the glass and felt a sting in her stomach, then a pounding in her head. _

_The world outside changed to her eyes within a fraction of a second. Colors vanished, shades of gray merged with a sensation of unreality before her eyes. The divine ability to see behind the apparent, raised her perception of the undeniable that lies behind into the infinite. _

_Almost painful her eyelids sank and the blaze in her head violently drowned all other senses. She turned her shadowy gaze away from the window, looking for Link in a magnificently colored, shimmering room, no longer discernible as a kitchen._

_He was running towards her, his lips moving slowly, as if he wanted to say her real name, as if to ask, what was wrong. But she couldn't hear him. He was running towards her and to Zelda he seemed to take hours to reach her. _

_It crackled in her thoughts, images of the distant past flashed by, images full of life, yet doomed to die. A piercing pressure behind her eyes and the pictures became more numerous, fast and threatening the poured into her mind, taking energy, robbing innocence. _

_She wanted to scream, she wanted to cry, to beg this strange power to stop these images, to stop the nightmare she was kept in. _

_Squealing loudly she threw herself with her back against the wall, didn't want to see, didn't want to accept the memories as such. Pictures of the dead, perished in the course of fierce battles on green planes. Blood over the smooth hills, fear in the wide open, glazed eyes of the fallen warriors. Fear of the true face of evil..._

Link had dashed towards her grabbed Zelda at her upper arms. Her eyes were empty, her skin ice-cold. She trembled and suddenly screamed hysterically.

"Zelda!" he hissed, shaking her carefully. He was helpless, didn't know what happened here, had to watch in a shock how Zelda started to cry. She stammered random things, confused syntax, uttered words that didn't exist in any language he ever heard and at the end sagged down to her trembling knees. She fainted, falling forwards, directly into Links arms.

He picked her graceful body up and carried her into the living room where he placed her gently onto the comfy, creme-colored couch. He tapped her lightly against her delicate pink cheeks and said her name vigorously, asked her to open her eyes again.

But she remained motionless. Even when Link put a moist towel on her forehead and covered her with a blanket, she didn't react.

Deeply worried, Link remained at her side and watched over her for a couple of minutes. What to do now?

But Link wouldn't be Link, if he had ever run out of ideas. A few moments later he raced into his room and returned promptly with his white ocarina. Soft, low tones soon sounded in the room, loosening the ban of frightful memories, soothed and caressed the senses with a calming melody. Link found comfort in his play, closed his eyes and leaned back.

He didn't notice Zelda's slight twitches when the gently tones reached her ear, didn't see the squinting of her eyes or the puzzled expression on her noble face when she recognized the melody of the flute.

Zelda sat up, didn't remember what had happened a few minutes ago and enjoyed the ocarina's play. Smiling a little she let her feet dangle from the couch and beamed at Link, who was so enchanted by his melody that he had forgotten everything around him.

Link's eyes opened and he stopped playing abruptly, sat down beside Zelda on the sofa and studied her with his worried, serious look. This expression on his face told a lot and Zelda suspected, even though she did not remember.

"What happened, Link?" she asked in her normal voice, with familiar words.

"You broke down in the kitchen and..." She grimaced in disbelief, didn't want it to be true. "...to be honest, I wanted to know what happened from you." he finished.

"I can not tell you. Forgive me, but I can't say because I do not know what I did."

"You have no idea at all?" She shrugged her shoulders and looked pleadingly into the deep blue of his eyes.

"Did I worry you?" she mumbled

"Well, yeah, I didn't know what to do..."

"You played the ocarina..."

"It woke you up, so..." Damn, he felt like an idiot, didn't know what to say, didn't want to tell her how distraught she had behaved before the unconsciousness had engulfed her. Tenderly he took her hands into his, stroke the velvety skin of the back of her hands. His gaze was fixed on them, maybe, because he could not look her in the eyes honestly at the moment.

"Please don't scare me like that again, Zelda. I was... afraid for you." he mumbled cautiously. He hardly understood himself, he had never before said something like that to anyone.

"For... me" she repeated, comprehending the meaning of these words only sluggishly, like there had never been anyone who was afraid for her. Only ever afraid of her? Maybe that was what made her so different, this imagination, others could fear her. Maybe that was why she wanted to escape from her miraculous beauty.

"Is that a mistake?"

"Maybe your biggest mistake..." she muttered and stood up.

Another evidence for the deceptive face she bore. More affirmation for the undeniable feeling that she did not belong here, that she in many ways differed from other people. Maybe even that she would bring mortal peril into the life of this caring young man at her side, into this possibly pleasant world.

Proof for the insight, something was wrong with her actions and decisions, possibly with her as a whole.

"I played the harp..." she said, her first returning memory, trying hard to suppress the darkness in her thoughts.

"You mean, you played the harp in the past?"

"Yes... when I go to sleep, it is as if I regain my sense or the strings and I imagine playing. I can almost see myself in this small round room, only me and my harp. Light shines into the chamber from everywhere. I think it might be a tower... So, I sit down in front of the harp and play a melody..."

"I'm happy for you..." Link said with his calming and pleasant voice. He now stood right behind her. He wanted to touch her, but at the same time considered, that he had no right to do so.

"I cannot help being so abnormal. Please don't see me with different eyes because of that..." she mumbled weakly, hesitantly, her voice getting more silent with every word. "Please..." she reinforced and turned her head to the side. She could feel his uncertainty, his rising nervousness, but also his honest sympathy.

Link walked around her to look her deeply into the eyes and softly, encouragingly said: "You can't possibly be more abnormal than me, Zelda... I will always see you with the same eyes."

"You always manage to make me smile, against all odds, somehow..."

"Yep. Quite a gift, right?"

"Better than all others..."

"Oh... so you think I have even more magnificent talents?" he asked, grinning ever so slightly. He took a gulp from the water bottle that stood besides the sofa.

"You simply didn't find or accept them yet..." she replied a little more seriously.

"Just like you, Zelda."

"Like me..." she kind of agreed. Realization dawned in her, how strong their threads of destiny had to be intertwined.

He handed her the bottle and she hastily drank to help her dried out tongue.

Link used that moment to sneak around her to scrutinize her slender body.

"You know, Zelda, I am definitely not a friend of extended shopping sessions but I'd say that you need new clothes."

She looked at him with wide eyes. "But how would I..."

He interrupted her: "I'm going to lend you some money, it's as easy as that. I've got quite a bit on my bank account, still."

"But what if I simply cannot afford that?" she objected.

"Then we could sell your tiara. That thing must be worth a fortune. And if not, you can always pay me back in installments. I won't even demand interest." he mused, chuckling. With a little help from his overwhelming charm, Zelda was convinced.

"Thank you, Link."

"Don't mention it. So, what do you say? Would you like to go somewhere today? If not it's no problem at all, we'll just make ourselves comfortable here."

She shook her head and took the arm he offered her. "Alright then, mademoiselle, let's be off."

Without further thought the two youngsters walked towards center of town until they stood in front of a large, multistory fashion shop.

"In you go!" Link said, grabbed Zelda's hand and dragged her with him into the building.

Zelda looked around, marveled by the uncountable amounts of racks with colorful, summery jackets, tables with Jeans in all forms and variations and stands with fancy blouses, T-shirts, coats and other things. She slowly followed Link, who was heading towards an escalator.

He turned around and suggested: "I'd say we start with undergarments and nightgowns, my lady."

She followed only uncertainly, questioning the tremendous selection of goods, asking, whether anybody actually needed all of that. Or any of it, for that matter.

They reached the top floor. Immediately Link turned towards a rather pretty lady, who stood behind the counter. A brunette woman, wearing a chic, dark suit. She seemed to be in the middle of sorting some paperwork when she greeted Link in a noticeably familiar way. Then, her gaze fell upon Zelda, who felt more and more watched.

There were indeed a lot of people in the store, perusing through the offered clothes. There were especially many peers, Zelda noticed in passing. Some politely looked away, others stared as if she came from Mars.

The lady from the counter went over to Zelda with Link in tow. With a kind "Hello!" she greeted the apparently 17 year old girl.

"Zelda, may I introduce my aunt Lydia, mother of my cousin. She will help you find appropriate stuff, since I have absolutely no clue about fashion.

Zelda nodded thankfully. "If there's anything, I'll be over there." He pointed at a red couch, close to the counter. "Is this okay for you?"

She nodded. How often would she have to thank him for his helpfulness?

"Oh, one more thing. Whenever you need someone to judge the clothes on you, just come over here. I'll be waiting." Link slowly walked towards the couch. Over the shoulder he released her with: "Take all the time you need. Since we got nothing else to do..."

With a wide grin he got comfortable on the couch and payed no mind to the indignant faces of other customers as he cheekily rested his feet on the stuffing as well.

Smirking, Zelda focused on Lydia, who carefully measured her size and physique. "So, Zelda, Link told me you needed a new outfit." The lady had a beautiful voice, remarkably soothing and gentle. Zelda nodded.

"I didn't even know my nephew had a visitor."

"Well..." Zelda started, not wanting to give away too much. "I hope, I won't have to jar on his nerves for too long."

The lady's fawn eyes scrutinized her. "It's not my intention to interrogate you, where you come from and what you're doing here, but forgive me if I'm a little nosy."

Zelda smiled, but avoided looking directly into the unfamiliar woman's eyes. "Well, no matter. I'd suggest we start by looking for fitting lingerie for you. Should not be difficult with your perfect size..."

Zelda followed the roughly 40 year old woman through the forest of clothes racks and lifeless mannequins.

They reached a corner full of all manners of undergarments, as well as dressing gowns and lingerie. Absentmindedly Zelda looked from one object to the other, again feeling this slight unease. This whole situation, the sight of the store, as well as the people inside it, felt so utterly alien.

Within a blink Lydia had conjured up a few pieces of lingerie, three nightgowns, one beautiful red pajama and a pile of socks in front of her.

"Over there are the changing cubicles." she said and stuffed the whole stack into Zelda's arms. Sighing, the pretty girl strolled into the cabin and started trying the clothes on, with a little initial difficulty.

After a lot of examination from Lydia, who always clapped loudly if something fit well, this first part was done. However, there already was a considerable heap of clothing on the table next to the counter. Link, daring only to take a small glance at it, realized that this little excursion would probably render him stone broke... and that was only the beginning.

Lydia seemed to be completely in her element now. Numerous jackets, trousers and sweaters, among other things, Zelda had to try and show off on her model-like body. One entire outfit followed the next and so the time went by. Over an hour later Link was at the brink of falling asleep. He fought it, stretched and looked over to Zelda, who once again vanished grinning into the cabin with a pile of T-shirts on her arms. Exhaling loudly, he leaned back and thought about what he had done for Zelda, but most of all, he thought about everything he would do for her, even though there was no way he knew her at all. She was, after all, still a complete stranger. These feelings of affection... were they even right? Could it be a mistake, to get himself into a girl like this? A girl, whose real name he didn't even know?

He suddenly felt two hands over his eyes, interrupting his thoughts. A cute voice behind him said: "Guess who!"

"Hmm... Zelda, I would have recognized you even if you hadn't spoken."

She moved her hands away and stepped in front of him. A little shy, she mumbled: "Your aunt said, I should ask you what you think of this dress."

Link stared at her in shock. The gorgeous being in front of him bore a seductive, delicate pink dress, which fit tightly and emphasized her graceful body. Zelda looked at the ceiling with flushed cheeks, waiting for Link's reaction. He was, however, utterly speechless, seemed to be entranced by her appearance. Two braided straps held the precious summer dress in place. They were the only adornment; the rest was kept in a noble genuineness. And if the right person wore it, that's the effect you got: natural perfection.

"Erm... it is..." Link finally managed to utter and stood up awkwardly. "You... You should take it, if... if you like it." he stuttered in stupor, trying not to appear like he was unrestrainedly staring at her. But Zelda smiled, turned around and scuttled back to Lydia.

Link hated himself for seeming so mindless, as if every last bit of his brain decided to just abandon post. Why? Why did she have such a strong impact on his clear thinking? He usually wasn't this nervous when looking at a girl his age...

Lost in thought like this, Link failed to notice that he was being watched. Two artificial blue eyes had him in their sights and snickered, when he slumped back down on the sofa. He had just closed his eyes when somebody sat down uncomfortably close beside him.

"Lovely Herooo..." the somebody cooed. Instantly Link's hair stood on end. Not her, he begged. Please, not again! But the voice, even more false than the rest of her appearance had already made it clear, who was sitting beside him. Ilona was her name. Ilona.

Link jumped up from the sofa and grumbled: "What do you want?"

Ilona got up as well and purred seductively: "Why so rude? I only wanted to say hallo to you, lovely hero."

"Stop that!" Link hissed and something new, something dangerous resonated suddenly in his voice. But Ilona didn't understand, what he meant, so she continued in her squealing, high voice: "I, your princess, wanted to ask you, if you would like to catch a movie with me, or maybe have a stroll through the park... Please!" The last word she spoke in what she ridiculously enough thought to be an alluring tone.

"You are merely a cheap floozy without a drop of royal blood. And, as you know perfectly well, I have absolutely no desire to be in your company."

Pulling a sulky face, Ilona fumbled around her blue contact lenses, acting as if she had missed the first part. "Why not?"

"Because, firstly, I'm in somebody's company, and secondly because I can't stand your false character."

She walked up to him, and breathed in his face: "Please Link."

"No. End of discussion." He left, his patience hanging by a thread, walking past Ilona and looked for Zelda. He could however feel the pesky girl following his every step.

Zelda was standing at the counter, watching Link's aunt as she laboriously removed all the price tags from the close to hundred pieces of clothing.

Link found her, high spirited and light-hearted, his true princess. He almost ran up to her, a little quicker than he would have chosen, if he could ever retain his sanity when he saw her.

"I'm afraid this will cost a lot..." Zelda observed guiltily. "I feel terrible thinking that you have to pay for all of this."

"And I will feel terrible if you have no other clothes than Sara's. It's alright Zelda." he responded and, without further ado, payed for the whole bunch. It even pleased him to do so.

"Thanks for the help, Lydia." Link added.

"My pleasure! I had a lot of fun creating Zelda's outfit." she giggled. "But there's one thing that I'd like to know."

"Which is?" Link asked, surreptitiously glancing towards this impossibly annoying Ilona who was prancing towards the counter.

"How did you two get to know each other? As your aunt I should, I mean, I could at least know who you spend time with." she corrected herself. Just like her sister Mera she immediately jumped to conclusions that she enjoyed.

"I think I will tell you another time... Now that I remember, I forgot something. Would you wait for me for a second, Zelda?"

"Of course. Or are you afraid I could just disappear?" Hearing those words got Link to thinking; he didn't find them as funny as they were meant. His gaze wandered towards the corner where Ilona had loomed, desperate not to miss anything that was happening. But it seemed, the phony pest had given up. Link could no longer see her, so he went through with his plan. Gleefully he took the escalator down to the ground floor, while Zelda waited at the counter.

Ilona's face screwed up more by the second. She was still watching, only from another vantage point. Who was that girl at Link's side. Why did he talk to her? _He even payed for her shopping!_ Jealousy was starting to boil in her like acid, she pondered, what she could do now...

She sneaked towards the counter, her insides giving a twitch, when she saw Link smiling at this new girl. He even held her hand for a brief amount of time. Ilona crept up even closer, hid her ridiculous appearance behind a rack of clothes. Now she could hear them talk and... laugh.

Then, Link went away, apparently. My chance, she thought.

Lydia too was busy attending to a customer. The unknown girl was alone now, she almost seemed insecure. Now or never!

She used this moment to take the chance and hastened towards the intruder. Disgusted, Ilona eyed her beautiful face, another surge of jealousy swept over her.

Zelda coolly greeted the meager girl that had positioned itself in a way, that she could not be ignored.

"Hello." she dared a careful glance behind Ilona's disguise that was hiding her true face. A repulsive being, without ideals or a speck of truth in her heart. Pictures of a ruined family, wearing discussions about unjust situations. But still there were desires, deeply hidden, blanketed by coldness and the want to let others pay for her own hardship.

"Hallo." Ilona said spuriously, but almost relieved that Zelda looked her in the face.

"What's your deal with Link?" A disparaging question that only served to tell more about her unlikeable character behind the actually pale, murky eyes, where light had been replaced with mist. Zelda also immediately noticed the unnaturally high voice Ilona delivered.

"Maybe more than both him and me can understand." Zelda replied with a firm look in her opposite's disgust-showing face.

"Leave him alone! He doesn't belong to you." Ilona getting right to the point, since she apparently could no longer speak sensibly. Or maybe she didn't want to.

"It is his decision, whom he want's around him and, by the way, he only belongs to no-one, only himself."

Ilona stared defiantly at the ceiling, searching for words. She looked around herself, when she had an idea. The best weapon, to get rid of this person had to be jealousy.

"He's my boyfriend!" she exclaimed, already full of glee about her supposed triumph. But Zelda was not impressed in the slightest. She did after all see so many lies behind her made-up face; Ilona had spun such a tight web of them, that she couldn't even trust herself any more.

"Link is my friend to me too."

"But you don't mean anything to him!"

"I'm happy just knowing him. And he's happy knowing me." Zelda said self-confidently. She cast a dreamy glance towards the escalator, waiting for Link to return.

"You big-headed piece of dirt, Link is mine!" she emphasized, leaving any kind of civility behind her.

Zelda turned her head towards the girl with a sovereign look in her eyes. Ilona flinched, her eyes widening. In Zelda's gaze were indignation and calmness alike, but also something... else.

"Do not provoke sleeping beasts. Your poor choice of words will only bring harm to yourself." Under Zelda's cold stare, Ilona's expression changed slowly from arrogant to respectful. A little drop of sweat gleamed on her forehead, so maybe it was even more than just respect.

"Go." Zelda ordered. Ilona turned and crept towards the escalators, but not before hissing: "You're crazy!".

Zelda waited another ten minutes for Link's return. Slowly, the whole situation became tedious. Wanting to check her surroundings she moved towards the staircases to have a look down to the ground floor. She couldn't make out Link anywhere. What was he doing that took so much time? Where in the gods name had he gone?

But suddenly a figure appeared in the crowd, wearing a forest green shirt and waving at her. She waved back. She couldn't understand, why she felt so happy and relieved to see him. Leaning a little over the railing of the stairs, she could just barely see him take the other escalator to go upstairs. He seemed to be holding something small in his hand, and he had his characteristic honest, cheeky smile on his face. An expression which had immediately caught her eye. Time seemed to be standing still; it took so long until he was almost back with her.

A sudden painful jab into her back made her lose her balance. Yelping, she turned her head, but she could only see something disturbingly sinister in two fake blue eyes, before she tumbled over. Not quick enough to hold on to the rail, she fell down the stairs to Link's side. His stomach clenching in horror he had seen her tipping over. His muscles moving on their own, he jumped over the banister that separated her side from his' and was just able to grab her arm and prevented her from tumbling down all the way. Sighing in relieve but with very wobbly knees they reached the end of the stairs. They looked around them, still in shock.

"Is everything alright?" Link stuttered, startled, how angst-inducing this brief moment had been. Zelda nodded but avoided his gaze. Nothing was alright at all! Someone had just tried to kill her! Somebody wanted her death; it really was, as she had felt it to be from her awakening in Link's house. And Zelda knew who.

"Stay here." Link prompted. With a few quick steps he darted up the steps. He too had seen who had been standing behind Zelda on the stairs. He had seen who wanted to take her life. Entrapped between indescribable fury and the fear, Zelda could come to harm, he chased around the hall and soon found Ilona standing at the counter.

Shaking with anger and disbelief, Link approached her and scolded: "How could you do that? Why?"

"Do what?" she answered, looking at Link in a wanton way.

He advanced another step. "You know exactly what I am talking about. Don't play little miss innocent with me!"

At this moment Zelda came running towards them, against Link's protective instruction. She placed a soft hand on his trembling shoulder.

"Who do you think you are? You would almost have been a murderess." he roared, so the whole store tremored from his voice. He seized her roughly by her arm.

"I didn't do anything wrong!" she yelped.

"You almost killed Zelda!"

"Oh, her name's Zelda..." she pointed with her index finger right into the pretty girl's face at Link's side. Zelda only nodded.

"I could sue you, you beast!" he snarled, failing to understand this overwhelming wrath in his insides.

"Link, I'm alright, nothing happened. Please, calm down..." Zelda muttered. She put her second hand on his other shoulder. "Please. This is not worth it."

Link stared at Ilona for a few more seconds. He took a deep breath, slowly relaxed and released her arm, never taking his eyes off her hated face. He slowly turned his head and his anger cooled down at seeing the gentle blue in Zelda's eyes.

Ilona turned on the spot and ran away. She looked back once, saw the dreamy look in their two faces and hastened on, mad at her own stupidity.

"I seem to be giving you more than one opportunity to watch over me, huh?" Zelda asked encouragingly. Link's lips slowly, reluctantly formed a little smile.

"There may be a lot more to come..." He took two of the great bags with Zelda's new clothes in each hand.

"I... suddenly was... so afraid for you..." he admitted and regretted his words immediately.

"That..." but he only shook his head. He preferred it, if she didn't comment that. She could have said a lot of things, most of them would probably inappropriate and... wrong.

"She will make atonement for it, even without her wanting it."

"I hope so..." he growled. Zelda took the remaining two bags and, trying to forget this dark incident, the two youngsters, heavily laden, made their way back home.

It was late in the evening, as Link was clearing away the table in the living room. What a day, he thought. Following the incident with Ilona in the fashion store, the two teenagers had discussed it thoroughly, had pondered about the ifs and buts of the whole situation.

In the end, they had calmed each other with the thought, that nothing bad had happened and had dismissed the topic.

Link activated the dishwasher in the kitchen, turned off the light and hopped cheerfully up the steps and steered unerringly towards the guest room.

Zelda, all the while, was busy with trying on her new clothes. She took pleasure in the things of the modern world. She liked the new, that had initially seemed so unreal, so alien.

The bedside lamp was the only source of light. The soft twilight it created made her feel even more comfortable in the room than normally. Slowly she shed the red blouse and the jeans from Sara, got rid of the uncomfortable corset she had worn until now. Giggling she stepped in front of the mirror and examined a black, striking piece of lingerie on her trim figure and was greatly pleased with herself. She immediately thought of the person who she had to thank for all of this. Wasn't there something that she could do for him?

She fished out a violet top from one of the bags and held it in front of her body.

In that moment Link opened the door, not considering that Zelda would be busy with herself and simply entered the room. Squealing, Zelda spun around, almost dropping the protective top, which barely covered her upper body.

Link gaped with his mouth wide open. Petrified, he looked at her, before he fully realized the situation and recollected himself. He swallowed and stuttered: "I should... knock... the next time." and with a few wobbly steps he had turned around. Zelda quickly put on her pajamas and, still a little beside herself with shock, she sat down on the corner of the bed. Damnation, that was embarrassing.

Link, abashed and still facing in the other direction, mumbled: "I just wanted to ask you, whether you feel like having an evening stroll, or watch a movie from our collection?"

"Gladly. If you could just give me a few minutes, then we can have a walk." A great possibility to put her new stuff to the test. Dark-blue stretch-jeans, a long-sleeved, white (but not too wide) sweater, a fashionable jacket...

"Sure." he said and left the room without taking another peek in her direction, which probably did his rational thinking a lot of good.

Bathed in the light of the old, blood-red sinking sun the two walked along the edge of the forest. Close to ancient creatures of wood and leaves, which, deep in sacred places, kept many of the last mysteries in the world.

"Are you doing this regularly? Strolling around the woods in the evening hours, I mean?"

"Yep!" Link affirmed and looked past Zelda into the deep darkness, that was frighteningly mystical, that could conceal all manners of things no-one has ever seen.

"Aren't you afraid of the dark of the woods, if you're all alone?"

"No, I'm just telling me that all the animals are more afraid of me, than I could be of them."

Zelda fastened her steps so she was a few meters ahead of him and could look him in the eyes. "But I don't mean the animals, Link."

His look got more serious.

"There, in the blackness, don't you think that there could exist things that use its gloom for sinister deeds?" she said quietly, hoping her words didn't sound too farfetched and weird.

"Zelda... in this world of ours, there are no monsters or demons. In the darkness of the night looms nothing you have to be afraid about. If it was so, it would have been discovered already. These past centuries served science and progression. Fairy-tales don't have much importance any more." Slowly they continued on their way, now and then hearing the cries of a lone owl, or a faint rustle, hidden deeply in the dark.

"Link?" Zelda started, again stopping to look at him. "You would wish for it to be different, though, am I right?" She wanted him to look at her, but he trod onwards.

"Sometimes, yes. But there is no alternative. Reality is, and will always be, reality. Fairies, wonders and demons only have a place in dreams." he stated with a notion of finality in it. "What about you?`"

"Oh, I have the feeling that I don't need to desperately miss all these things." Link's eyes widened, astonished by her words, and replied curiously: "How do I understand this?"

But Zelda didn't reveal her thoughts, partly for uncertainty, and partly for shame about things, she thought were natural. These included demons in any form, as well as these powers she apparently possessed.

They reached a little crossroads and decided for a way, which lead them deeper into the dark, but would eventually show them many lush green meadows. By then, the sun had vanished behind the horizon and the soft curtain of night had been laid over Destinykeep.

Every now and then, Zelda peeked into the darkness, not feeling all that comfortable at the thought, that there lurked more in these old woods than mere wild animals.

"If it comforts you, I have my flashlight with me." Link reassured, almost physically feeling Zelda's unease.

"I find it an increasingly foolish idea to have a stroll in the forest..." she mumbled.

"I am sorry, Zelda. Maybe you're right." he replied a little chastened. "But I'm here and I take full responsibility if one of those greedy demons with a giant ax and heavy armor decides to show up."

Zelda nudged his arm with her elbow. "Don't jinx it!" squeaked, feeling more and more helpless in his company. Was there something missing in his brain that, in normal people, induced fear. Was he even sane?

"Oh, Zelda..." he sighed and briefly placed his arm around her shoulder. "Don't take it so hard. You'll see, there is nothing here that's worth being afraid of."

She really did want to believe him, but with his weird sense for adventure, that was a nearly impossible task.

They continued on their path, which got increasingly harder to distinguish. Link finally got his flashlight from his pocket, when it suddenly dawned on him that he had stupidly forgotten to change the empty batteries.

They both perceived a peculiar rustling in the underbrush and Zelda jumped forwards and was now accompanied by even more uneasiness than before. Her fingers unintentionally clawed firmly into his palm. He didn't say anything and let her hand be exactly where it was: in his. In a sense, this feeling was even very pleasurable to him. "Could we maybe walk a little faster?"

"If it comforts you." he said.

It wasn't long before the two of them stepped out of the blackness of the woods. Zelda breathed in and out deeply, when she discovered the green pastures, Link had hinted to. Following a beaten path, Zelda's discomfort vanished into nothing.

The moon beamed from the sky, spreading his cool light over the lush field, creating a scenery of pure tranquility. Zelda stood still, taking in more of this natural piece of art and looked at the landscape, smiling. Her gaze wandered towards a valley in the distance, which was surrounded by a protective ring of mountains, enfolded in mist and thus shielded from the moonlight.

She spread her arms and enjoyed the infinite naturalness, the beckoning freedom and felt in her heart the wish for a challenge.

She smiled broadly, turned around to Link, who also had a faintly happy expression on his face. "I had a feeling you would love this place, Zelda." he said and took another step closer towards her.

"Is that why you dragged me through this insufferable darkness?" she laughed, exhilarated.

"Yep!"

"I have to say, it was definitely worth it." and her dreamy gaze got lost in the dark night sky, where stars glinted like little sparks.

"Thank you Link. You have no idea what such a moment means to me.", she whispered. Link saw a marvelous twinkle in her eyes, a light which may become strong enough to let the shadow in them fade. After a few minutes, where they only stared at each other in silence, they continued walking, until they reached the opposite edge of the glade.

Zelda once again reached for Link's hand, which he thought to be a heavenly gift, and gazed reverently into the darkened world.

"Link?"

"Mhm?"

"You're wonderful, do you know that?"

"'Course, especially since you've reminded me 10 times now."

She giggled quietly. "Yeah, I know, but apparently I can't say it enough to do it justice."

Link too laughed happily. "Since you're here, it's...", he began and smiled at her sight.

Even if she couldn't see much of his expression, in all this night. "... I feel better."

"I know...", she said masterfully and followed the path ahead.

From afar, they could see the first, dim lights of Destinykeep. Silently, they walked side by side, relishing the clean air and the sounds of nocturnal life.

Eventually, Zelda broke the silence with a loud yawn.

"Tired already?"

"Well, such a walk tends to induce sleepiness."

"We're home soon. Can you see the large complex back there?" She followed the direction indicated by Link's pointing finger. She could only see a unlit yard and structure, a little off the first illuminated streets.

"It's our graveyard. If we take the route past it, we'll be quicker, than going further east and walking back through half the city.

"A graveyard?" Zelda inquired, anxious to suppress the fear, this word carried.

"What are you planning here? Some kind of shock-therapy?" she joked.

"Well, I'm afraid I'll have to get you used to shocks, if you're going to stay within my vicinity." he replied, thinking involuntarily of the strange incidents of the last weeks, that somebody else might not have borne quite so well as he did...

"I didn't think you'd be quite so dangerous..."

"There is a lot about me, one wouldn't expect."

"Maybe that's what makes you the center of attraction for people around you." she mumbled and looked decidedly away

"A dangerous point of attraction, wouldn't you say, Zelda?" he purred in her ear. He was amazed how much fun it was to make a complete fool of himself in front of her.

"Well, alright. You convinced me. Let's walk past the graveyard. But you have to promise me that we won't stay there for long."

Link smiled, but didn't say anything, almost as if he didn't want to make that promise.

The moon vanished, it's smooth light warded off by thick clouds, turning the meadow into blackness. With every step they came closer to Destinykeep's old cemetery. They could barely see a high wrought-iron fence, and past that many ancient leaf trees, slightly hiding the stone cemetery hall.

The path led them fairly close past the high enclosure. Some people told about audible voices of the dead, pleading to be released from their prison.

Link purposely took Zelda's hand in his, for even someone like him felt reverence at a place of death.

Zelda suddenly stopped and pointed with her free hand towards the inner cemetery. A faint light shone from somewhere on the inside.

"What could that be?" she muttered at equally surprised Link. It appeared to be torchlight, to vivid for an electrical source.

"No idea, but I'm going to find out." Zelda's eyes widened. Was completely out of his mind now? He abruptly let go of her hand and marched towards the circumvallation to climb over it.

"Don't move, I'll be right back."

With a doubtful nod, Zelda leaned against the fence, glancing nervously from one side to the other.

Link slowly snuck from tree to tree towards the little flame, occasionally looking back, but he already couldn't see her anymore. He was conflicted; for one he wanted to find out what was going on, but on the other hand he hated to leave Zelda alone...

'But what could possibly happen?' he told himself. He quickened his pace.

The young adventurer with the green baseball cap hid behind the thick trunk of an oak and carefully peaked around its bark. He spotted a bowed down person, encircled by graves. This character indeed carried a torch and Link could hear him mumbling to himself, almost as if he was cursing...

The enigmatic person stuck the torch in to the ground right beside him and sat down on the grass. He didn't notice Link creeping a bit closer. Now he could scrutinize this figure more clearly. It was an elderly guy. He looked almost like a monk, wearing a rough, dark-brown frock and having a half-bald head with only a thinning circle of gray hair around it.

Link had never seen the guy before and an uneasy feeling crept over him. For unexplainable reasons, he did not seem so harmless, as the monk-like appearance would insinuate. No... he emanated a sense of dread that Link found familiar. Horrifyingly familiar...

The old man dug around in the soil, as if looking for something.

"To foolish... always to foolish Drokon." he spat with an seemingly unnaturally scratchy voice, like two plates of rough shale being rubbed together.

"Serve the master..." he smarmed, then savagely hit the earth with his fist.

"Bad Lord... always you punish poor Drokon, who can do nothing, who always is faithful, so faithful, so tries to be faithful."

Link listened tensely, unable to comprehend the crazy babbling of this guy. But something made him listen, some instinct to not dismiss this as just a madman's ranting. For his own good... and Zelda's.

"Hoho... the Lord knew, the Lord hated, the Lord murdered..." then the lunatic started giggling hysterically, randomly snapping his fingers

"And the bad Lord... he always punishes poor Drokon..." he now yammered. But Link was far from feeling pity. Only disgust.

Within a heartbeat two hands pressed against Link's mouth. He could feel his heart skip a beat and with shock in his eyes he turned his head. He knew the guy who was holding him. It took a second for Link's alarmed brain to recognize. It was Josh, one of the twins from his parallel class. He put his finger to his lips and Link understood. Somehow he doubted Josh was here quite as accidentally as he was.

A sharp snap from under Josh's shoes made the strange man hiss. "Who disturbs the Master's hour? Who disturbs poor Drokon when he must serve the Master's hour?"

Drokon stood up and a yellow glow emerged from his eye slits. He looked exactly at the spot where Link and Josh were standing and screamed with an surreal, grating voice: "The Lord kills, who stands in his way! The Lord murders... haha!" His words ended in sick laughter and with cracking joints he darted towards the two boys.

Josh assessed the situation as too dangerous, drew back and yelled at Link "Run!"

Hastily the two youths got two the fence and scrambled over it quicker than ever before in their lives and jumped the whole height down to not loose any time. Link immediately looked back, scanning the graveyard for the crook. Fearlessly he walked a little closer to the fence, using another of his abnormities, being able to sense some people, to locate the the guy in the darkness. But he neither saw nor felt anything.

After a while he jogged to the place where he left Zelda and to his relief he found her right there. Two other people stood next to her. One of them was Josh, he was sure.

She was pacing up and down, asking loudly: "And where is Link?"

"I dunno." Josh replied, "He just stopped." Apparently he had already told her the whole creepy story.

Link got closer to them, hearing desperation in Zelda's voice. But then she already noticed him and called him. Josh grabbed her arm, sweating. "Are you crazy? If that nut hears us, were done for."

"It's impossible. This... monk has apparently vanished off the face of the earth." Link grumbled, reaching the other three. Zelda stepped right in front of him and gave him a quick but effective slap in the face. Flabbergasted, he looked at her worried face.

"Zelda, wh..."

"Do you have any idea how much I've worried? Don't you dare do that again!" she spat. She evaded his gaze and gloomily looked at the far grassland.

"Sorry..." he answered lamely, slowly realizing how insensible he had acted.

"Josh already told everything I assume." He watched the two boys beside Zelda. They nodded their confirmation.

"Hendrick appeared shortly after you had to climb over the fence." Zelda grumbled. Now the second twin spoke for the first time. "Link, about a week ago we found burn marks. We decided watch more closely at night and we could actually see light coming from the cemetery from our home. We even saw this guy a few times, always mumbling and cursing. Seems like he comes here every evening now."

Link remembered their house and the view from the twins' room towards the hills.

"Every evening?"

"Right. And today we saw you and Zelda walking there and wanted to warn you. We immediately recognized her."

Link remembered her telling about how nice the twins had helped her with shopping.

"We didn't know she lived with you. Since when do you have such nice guests?"

"Not long." Link replied honestly.

"Lucky bastard." Josh responded with a wink. "I'd have nothing against such a guest of my own." Once again, Zelda had a breathtaking effect on the people in her surroundings.

"This graveyard business is really scary..." Hendrick concluded. "I have a hard time sleeping cause I constantly think about it."

"Then I want to know," Link asked in his overexcited courage, "why you always scram. Never tried to confront this nut job?"

Josh got a step closer with a disbelieving look on his face. "Are you mental? Why don't we just join him outright when he does his rituals? You have no idea what we've heard this guy say and do..." Link raised his eyebrow and didn't understand what their secrecy was about.

"If we tell you, you would never believe us another word."

"Whatever. How late is it anyway?" Link asked. Zelda clung to Link's arm and yawned.

"Twelve already." Hendrick answered. "We should go back to the city."

The others nodded in consent.

"So what do we do with this lunatic?" Zelda asked.

"In any case, we can't call the police." Hendrick stated. "This guy has nothing to fear from them." And with those mysterious words the twins left in the opposite direction. The two chosen also made their way home and reached Link's front door at one o'clock.

Link was just standing in his room, already wore his short, dark-green pajama-pants and once again checked his wound. He delicately removed the bandages and examined the peculiar injury. Finally a normal scab had formed over them. Sighing, he lightly touched one of his wounds and squinted his eyes at the resulting jolt of pain.

That very moment Zelda entered his darkened room in her red pajamas. Only the lava lamp in the corner bestowed a little light. Her long, golden hair was banded together and hanging over her right shoulder.

"Hey." she mumbled softly, her gaze immediately shifting to his torso. She stepped towards him and asked: "How are you?"

"Err... fine, actually." he said in a sincere way.

"Do you want me to apply new bandages?"

"That would be great." he replied and sat down on the edge of the bed. Zelda sat down behind him and started the procedure.

"Am I doing ok?"

"Mhm" he breathed gently. "Thank you."

"About earlier..." Zelda started, "I'm sorry for slapping you."

"I think I might have deserved it." and turned his head so she could see his smiling face.

"I really was worried, though."

"You believe Hendrick and Josh's story, don't you?"

"Sure!"

"Me too. They don't have any reason to lie to us."

"Hendrick told me, this Monk is calling himself Drokon, and that he has magic powers..."

Zelda finished wrapping Link's chest and stomach in bandages and got up. Satisfied with her work and with a cheerful yawn she let herself slump down in one of Link's comfy chairs beside his desk and stretched her arms. Only now she saw Link's kind of puzzled expression in his handsome face.

"Magic powers... and you just throw that out like a fact?"

Zelda shrugged her shoulders. Apparently another obviousness in her eyes, that people have some kind of special abilities.

"Dear me, Zelda..." Link got up sat back down at her feet and placed his hands on her knees. "In our world it's very unlikely that people have these kinds of talents, and that they would show them."

"Oh..." she just exclaimed and rubbed her eyes. "And what should we do, now that we know what mysterious things this character is arranging at the graveyard?"

"I don't know yet, but maybe time will have the answers."

"Mhm. Possibly."

And it would, even if the sought answers came with even more questions...

Suddenly an flash of genius from earlier knocked impatiently on Link's mind and he started rummaging in one of the drawers for something. Having found it, he impishly held a pair of modest but pretty, silver earrings in front of Zelda's nose. Baffled, she eyed him, then the rings.

"What... are they..."

"For you..." Link said, blushing ever so slightly. "Today in the shop, well... you know, I just wanted to have a present for you." he sheepishly tried to make excuses.

She took the earrings in her right hand and couldn't help but smile brilliantly in glee.

"I noticed that you... have holes in your ears, but aren't wearing anything inside them and so..."

"That's so sweet of you!" she exclaimed and without thinking threw her arms around his neck. The hug was only brief, and still, it seemed wanting to tell him something... Memories of desire... and long lost wishes.

"But I really can not accept your gift, you already did too much for me." she mumbled and, abashed, she retreated away from the embrace.

"Don't worry, they were actually cheaper than a box of my favorite ice-cream..."

She nodded in a telling and grateful way and within a moment she had fixed the little piece of jewelery in her earlobe.

"Now I like you even better and that's saying something. Thinking of ice-cream, would you like some?"

"Do you really want to eat sweets now? It's already past two in the morning." she doubted his sanity as she contemplatively looked at the display of the DVD-recorder.

"Sure! I could always eat ice-cream, no matter how early or late."

"Alright, why not. But not too much, okay?" Having received Zelda's consent, Link hopped out of the room and quickly returned with a full load of the sweet substance. So they spent half the night together, with conversation, watching a repeat of a horror-movie, which only Zelda found slightly scary, until she, with a yawned good-night-wish, left his room.

Tuesday morning the doorbell surprised the young man out of bed. Link rushed down and opened the door.

"Hey Rick. What's new?"

"Morning moron. Did you forget it's Tuesday?

"Comforting retort for the one calling me moron: no I have not. Is there anything special 'bout today?"

"Oh, man. You really did forget our training." Link touched his head with his palm, then shook it.

"Sorry, I really did." Tuesdays had been archery-training since god knows when.

But since Zelda honored his house, he admittedly had a hard time thinking about anything but her.

"Listen Rick. I got a guest. A very dear guest, yes, so if you would excuse me. Erm... training doesn't start until in two hours, right?"

"A guest? Really? A female guest?" Link's cheeks got noticeably redder by the second.

"Oh what the hell." Link exclaimed. "Want to come in?"

"Definitely!" Rick replied and closed the door behind him.

Link's cousin wondered, what girl could have made Link not only not flee, but also make him invite her to his home. He entered the corridor, pulled off his shoes, even though he knew that his aunt Mera wasn't home. She had often enough yelled at him for wearing his "devilishly" dirty sneakers in her house that he had learned his lesson.

Rick was very curious. Link always seemed to have some secret or other and now he could finally uncover one of them. The TV was on and someone sitting in front of it, her legs stretched out on the sofa, was zapping back and forth.

Rick moved closer, puzzled, why he suddenly felt slight unease, almost as if he was about to meet the most glamorous pop-star ever. He stopped and saw the profile of an unbelievably gorgeous girl sitting in the couch. Long blond hair, a slender, breathtaking body... Rick almost lost his ability to speak.

He really has a girlfriend! I can't believe it, he thought to himself. And what a girlfriend he has!

She turned her head towards him and smiled a bit shyly.

"Hello." she said in a strangely insecure way.

Only by scratching all of his courage together, Rick also managed a hoarse "Hello"

Who was she, he wondered and stared at the regal, immaculate face with all its soft features, the porcelain skin and the red lips and the two blue eyes that twinkled like sapphires.

"Hello." Rick stuttered a second time. He felt, as if it was required of him to bow down before her.

He got yet a bit closer, just to make sure that this divine girl was truly sitting on the beige sofa. He said: "Err... I'm Link's cousin Rick. Nice to meet you."

She stood up and Rick now had to admire the grace with which she moved. She extended her hand and spoke with a smile. "I'm called Zelda."

Rick had to take a few moments to ascertain that he had heard her correctly, while grinning in her innocent face.

"Zelda? Now I think I've truly gone mad..."

She grinned and replied: "It is not the way you think, Rick..."

"Okay, okay. I'm sure Link will share the story with me." Zelda nodded politely.

Link chose that moment to reenter with two bottles of Cola under his arm. He crossed the living room until he stood right next to Zelda with a wide smile on his face.

"So, Rick, I think you may find that a few things happened and you're not currently up to speed."

The three teenagers sat down around the glass table in the living room and Link started to explain to his best friend everything that had occurred. At least as far as he needed to know... He did not leave out the story about her having lost her memory and that Zelda was not her real name. However, he kept his silence about one thing: the incredible fact, how similar Zelda's voice was to that, which had called to him more than once.

No, damn it! He had to admit to himself, that it was not just similarity... It, simply and truly, was her voice!

"So what are you two going to do?"

"Wait." Link answered.

"Wait." Zelda agreed and turned to look warmly at her savior.

He returned her look and expression. Now, even Rick noticed the drastic change in his cousin. How long has it been since Link had smiled like that? Definitely a long time... Rick was delighted for him and already thanked the strange girl for her appearance in his life.

Zelda hopped up from her place and from a little bar she snatched three glasses for the Cola. Four unblinking eyes followed her every move. She knew, she sensed their gazes in the back of her neck.

"She is unbelievably beautiful!" Rick whispered, so that Zelda couldn't hear.

"Yeah, she is..." Link mumbled sheepishly, not something he could possibly deny.

"...you have something going on with her?" Link blushed furiously within a second.

He coughed and said: "No! What makes you think that? She's a friend, nothing more!"

"Oh, well good, so I can try my luck!"

"Don't you dare!" he exclaimed a lot louder than he had meant, drawing Zelda's interested gaze. Link subconsciously clenched his fists as he felt a surge of monstrous jealousy because of that angelic face. He looked at her, smiled once again when she sat back down at the table.

"What shouldn't he dare?"

"Erm... nothing important." Link replied and avoided her piercing, knowing gaze. Her lips twitched into a smile, apparently having read his thoughts anyway.

The three teens were enjoying their time for a while until it got around noon and Rick announced that he was going to leave now.

In the corridor he had one more thing to whisper to Link. "You know, she really looks... a lot like the Zelda from the game..." At Link's side, the girl in question too tried to understand what was being whispered.

"Zelda is a game-character and she is a human being." Link was a little startled at himself. He had never snapped at his best friend like this.

"I'm sorry, Link, you're right of course, but..."

Link looked at his guest, scrutinizing her cherubic face like never before.

"...She resembles her just too much, is what you mean, right?" he sighed, knowing that the cat was out of the bag anyway. He let his head hang a little.

Zelda was completely calm and stated: Link, I really don't mind, okay? I too chose to bear this name, and I do so with pride and respect. So, let's forget about that and let us eat."

"Alright! I will scram now. Link, you going to honor us at the archery range?

"I definitely will, if..." Before he could even finish, Zelda had already read his thoughts again. "I don't mind at all. I can come too, can't I?"

Link smiled mischievously. "We will be eager to examine how good your eyesight is, hmm?" She nodded.

Link accompanied Rick to the door and the few meters through the front yard.

"Come on, I'm sure you got something going on with her." Rick deliberately repeated his words, suspecting that there was indeed more going on than Link would admit. He knew, Link was hiding something of importance regarding her sudden appearance. This girl did not only possess grace and charm, but also embodied something much more powerful.

Link inhaled, avoided eye contact, stammered unintelligibly while shifting from one foot to the other.

"I need her..." he managed to exhale. He let his eyes wander towards the living room window. He could make out Zelda inside, sitting on a stool, pensively and almost a little sadly she watched the TV, which she had only turned on to take her mind off her melancholic thoughts.

"She tells me so much... I don't mean literally, but the way she talks to me, how she looks at me, how she treats me in general. It's as if I know her since forever." He leaned back against a street lamp and crossed his arms.

"I don't want to dampen your spirits, or doubt your judgment, but something is wrong here. Now that she's here, I... I somehow can't just have a good feeling about this."

"I know... but what am I supposed to do in your opinion? Should I send her away and forever hate myself, because of this nagging instinct, which tells me I have waited all my life to find her? Should I throw her out of my house with the absurd justification that she brings danger to the city?"

"No... and somehow yes."

"There is danger..." Link concluded, turning to go back into the house. Rick just nodded.

"And the funny thing is, Rick, I don't care. As long as she is here nothing matters. School, dreams, or any creature of hell one could come up with. I will not send her away. Ever. On the contrary, I want her to stay and I..." he could hardly believe what he was saying, but his feelings were just welling up to the surface now. "I protect her, cost what it may."

Rick was silent. Either Link really did come from some other solar system or he had lost his mind utterly now. Had her presence gotten him so badly?

"Rick, it was her... voice." Link admitted in a low voice, turning his back to his friend.

"What?" taken aback, Rick once more looked at Zelda, who sat almost trance-like in the lounge.

"Yes. I just know. It must have been her voice. She called me, and if I hadn't heard her, or hadn't reacted like I did... hadn't found her... she would not be alive now."

Link felt Rick's hand firmly on his shoulder. "Destiny, Link." he said reassuringly.

The green-capped boy laughed out loud, but not out of fun or joy.

"Destiny indeed." Link murmured. Finally he said: "So, I..."

"Don't worry too much about it." Rick interrupted. "As many things do, all will become clearer in time. And you'll probably have a good laugh, remembering the weird thoughts we are having here. And now, I suggest, you cheer up this fairylike being in your house a little. She is making such a sad face, I can hardly watch..."

Link grinned. "Yeah, you're right. Thanks Rick."

"My pleasure. See you later!" the brown haired lad called over his shoulder and walked down the street.

Link returned to the living room and saw Zelda sitting in the exact same position as before. Cross-legged, on the stool, staring into nothing.

"Zelda?" he mumbled. She looked up, a little surprised. "Is everything alright with you?" Link asked, just to be sure. Sorrowful, she shook her head and sent an indescribably yearning look his way. He sat down on a chair, right in front of her.

"Rick... he is afraid of me..." she declared in a subdued way and with a trembling voice.

"Hey now, that..." Link started to say.

"Don't. I could feel it, Link. It wasn't real fear, just a feeling of unease, telling him to stay far away from me."

He gently laid a hand on her shoulder. "So what? You still got me! I am neither afraid of you, nor do I feel any kind of aversion when I'm with you. You're someone exceptional, Zelda... We are going to find out what's wrong here and Rick will be able to see you with different eyes... yes? Apart from that, I feel he is already about to shrug off that uneasy feeling."

She nodded and smiled slightly. "Thank you. Did I mention that you are a gem, Link?"

"You did. But I enjoy hearing it from you."

"You mean to say, I could say it a few more times?"

"You could of course even add something to it..."

"Something like: You are the most precious being on this earth?"

Link grinned. "Yep. I do accept that!" He pulled her up on her feet. "And now we cook something nice for us two, hm?"

She followed him into the kitchen. "How about something healthy for a change?"

"Salad, potatoes and other such things?"

Zelda smiled. "Exactly what I was thinking about."

"Good."

"Good."

Zelda and Link ate unhurriedly together and subsequently started on their way to the archery-range.

When they reached the giant building of the old gym, Zelda was beaming with excitement. She had always wanted to learn to shoot with bow and arrow. Many people, old and young were here to sharpen their skills. She studied these people, their cheerful faces, their happy laughs and joyous calls. Some where pretty impressive with their weapon, others couldn't even draw their bow completely, let alone hit their target. Zelda was enthusiastic, Link could sense that from a mile away.

A few moments later Rick showed up. "Hey! There you are. Why don't you go and get two bows, while I show this pretty young lady the ropes?" Link looked at Rick sternly for a second, then left to do as asked. Rick smiled at Zelda, purposefully ignoring the uneasiness he felt in her presence.

"Zelda, well, it's really great making your acquaintance." Zelda was glad that Rick was now trying to engage in conversation, despite his worries. Link was right, Rick really was someone you could trust right away.

"Link told me a lot about you..." Rick said quietly.

"Excuse me?" That hardly seemed possible. She only knew him since a few days and Rick had only learned about her earlier that day...

"You don't know what I mean, right?

"No, I'm afraid you'll have to explain."

At that moment, Link returned with two beautiful bows in his hands.

"Well, I'll explain another time." Link held one of the weapons in front of Zelda's face.

"Now you just watch carefully!" Rick said loudly and excitedly. "'Cause there is a pro among us." and his outstretched index-finger pointed at Link.

He however was already leisurely walking towards the shooting range, gracefully nocked an arrow, felt the tension in the bowstring and the power it reflected, waited for a moment, then let go. The arrow zoomed away at incredible speed, and with a muffled thunk embedded itself perfectly in the middle of the target. A few people around them stared at Link, more in awe than Zelda could have possibly been. Somehow, that was precisely what she had expected of him.

Link motioned Zelda to come and try herself. She stepped to Link's side and held the bow with hopefully appropriate draw weight in front of her.

She tried multiple times and was, in Link's estimation, uncannily good at it. Link sat down on a bench and observed the people in the hall.

He noticed one familiar face... it was Maron. The girl Rick was so fascinated with, and a good friend. She was smaller in stature than, not quite as perfect, almost as graceful, but still very beautiful to behold.

It had been a long time since she had called Link her 'prince', because he had rescued her cat from a tree in seventh grade. Even weeks later, Link was still downright fleeing from her, because every meeting with her ended with her vigorously inviting him to her home.

Link really didn't fancy doing that. She was a nice girl, but he couldn't have reciprocated what she had wanted from him. Thank god, this early, naïve infatuation has never been detrimental to their later on friendship.

Everything, Link had ever felt for anybody he kept as a well guarded secret, and only Rick would, sometimes accidentally, be let in on it.

Link was suddenly yanked out of his thoughts. Attentively, he looked around, saw laughing people here and there, made out many smiling faces, enjoying their hobby. But there was something else. Something was out of place, he could feel it.

Cold entwined his heart. He looked at his hands. Especially his left trembled. It shook so violently, he had to hold it fast with his other. He could sense a malevolent, dark Energy grow and rise. Cold. Nothing but icy, dry cold.

Exhaling deeply, Link lifted his hand, still trembling as if it was controlled by someone.

At his next exhalation he saw little clouds of mist rise from his mouth. This coldness wasn't just in his mind, but already outside, gathering in the air, dominating one of the elements, endeavoring to subdue them all.

Link shakily stood up and looked around. He saw Rick shouting someone in his direction. He had no time for this though. He felt, he had no time to waste. As if time had allied with this dark energy that crept around.

Link suddenly grabbed his head in both hands. His mind burned, a sinister pressure seemed to crush his brain. There was pain, images from his dreams tearing at his will, appeared without him wanting to remember. Nightmares. Creatures of darkness, lightning, thunder, blood and pitch-black night without even a glimmer of light.

This Hellish pain.

This pressure on his head.

He thought he could hear a voice, a vile voice speak to him. No more than a chilling hiss, it betrayed a being of similar uncaring coldness than the mysterious iciness that had manifested in the entire hall.

_You will not protect her this time._

Link shuddered. He checked his surroundings again but still couldn't see anything unusual. He strained to suppress and fight this voice in his mind, with which he felt worryingly related... just as much as with Zelda.

With laboring, slow steps he walked towards her. He looked around once again, unable to detect anything.

_You will not protect her this time..._

Again this despicable grumbling from a deep, cruel voice, that belonged to an even more cruel character.

Link closed in on Zelda. He now realized, that the sense of danger he and Rick were feeling was never emanated from her, but from something that was in search of her.

He gazed around him for one more time and with a terrible feeling of dread he saw something nearly incomprehensible.

Maron drew her bow and calmly aimed at Zelda.

For Link the world ceased to exist. Within a heartbeat, everything around apart from himself, Zelda and the arrow him sank into gray unimportance. His scream resounded through the room. "Zelda! Run away!"

A few people turned to see who was shouting. But Link didn't even notice, only Zelda's well-being was of importance now. Again, a yell from Link's throat and Zelda turned around to look at him, then noticed the drawn arrow pointed at her heart.

Link ran as fast as his legs would allow, saw the arrow being released at his helpless prey, saw its high-speed flight in terrible slow motion. In a millisecond Zelda's face twisted to utter horror as the arrow sped murderously at her.

Link jumped and yanked Zelda to the ground. The deadly projectile shot past their heads. Protective, Link lay on her, hearing only his distraught breaths. He smiled at her for just a tiny moment, then righted himself.

Most people had seen the event, bewildered, didn't understand and looked frightened at Maron. The brunette girl nocked another arrow. She had to be out of her mind!

"Maron, wake up!" Link yelled and positioned himself between the girls, shielding Zelda with his body.

But the cursed girl only started cackling disgustingly and proceeded drawing her bow and aiming with bloodlust, hate and insidious hostility. She laughed as she released her second arrow. It flew directly at Link, who jerked his head away at the last moment. It barely missed his right ear and landed in the wall behind them. Instantly the arrow burst into flames.

Now people realized the gravity of the situation. Parents grabbed their children and hastened from the hall. Students dropped everything and ran out of the high entrance door.

The flames spread unnaturally fast and apparently from all sides at once. Small flames already danced in the corners of the floor and Maron's ringing laughter resounded in the hall.

Wild cries of fear ripped through the air as everyone stumbled over others to get out.

Only Zelda and Link would not run. Everything that happened, and was about to happen, did so because of them. Spawned out of revenge and murderous intent.

Link grabbed the bow he had used, snatched Zelda's hand and pulled her. He dragged her behind a bar in the next room. He carefully peeked over the counter. Rick was apparently the last who had remained and was now running out as well.

Maron must have lost her sanity, what has possessed her? Link's question was quickly answered, as the glowing eyes of Maron crossed his.

"Link, my god, what..." Zelda was in shock. Her eyes and face were frozen and she leaned trembling against the bar. Black smoke now danced inside the building

"Damn!" he gasped. "What should we do. I can't just kill her." Link looked distressed at the bow in his hand, then at Zelda's scared face.

"Come out, you fools!" Maron's voice sounded unnaturally deep. Was she really dominated?

"We have to get out of here somehow. Meaning, you have to get out of here at once." Zelda didn't want to believe what she was hearing.

"I want you to run for the exit when I tell you to, okay?" Zelda shook her head.

"I couldn't. Not without you!"

Link narrowed his eyes to slits and snapped at her: "You don't get to decide now. You scram, I said!" He proceeded, a little calmer. "I don't want anything happen to you." Zelda's eyes filled with tears. "Okay. When I say 'Now' you run."

Link didn't wait for an answer and jumped to his feet. He could see Maron, or the demon that possessed her, knock over the wooden, 3 meter long tables with a careless jerk of her hand. This was no longer Maron. It was a monster now. As the ominous being had Link in it's sights it readied its bow and drew.

But Link was faster.

"Now!" he yelled and fired his arrow, which thudded into the girls weapon, ripping it from her hand. Link saw in the corner of his eye that Zelda had cleared the exit. She was safe. A heavy burden dropped from his heart.

"So. Now to you. Maron, can you hear me?" He appealed to the human being, to her real self. "Maron!"

"Maron is no longer here, little maggot."

"Who are you?" Link wasn't intimidated.

"You took away my destiny and don't even know who stands before you?"

If Link hadn't been so appalled, he would have laughed out loud. "Took your destiny away, you say? Seeing how pathetic you look, I can hardly believe you ever had one."

The demon's eyes turned dark threateningly and he bellowed: "You dare affront me? To query my purpose?"

Link stared unperturbed at at the now black eyes of the monstrosity that had enslaved Maron's body.

"If what you say had any basis, you wouldn't need others to execute your delirious cravings for revenge." Link himself didn't fully understand what he was saying.

"You impudent, little imbecile. You obviously have no grasp of who you are talking to. You don't even know about your past self.

"Really? But apparently you atrocity do know. So you also know that I will bring you down."

Something from deep within seemed to fuel Link's resolve...

The creature laughed maliciously, cruelly. This sinister cackle seemed to paralyze Link as if his whole body had been chained.

The darkness in the room increased in intensity and a giant, icy shadow erupted from Maron's twitching body.

Before his mind could even comprehend, of his body react, it had fired some kind of ball of energy at Link. The only thing he could do was protect his face with his hands.

He screamed out in pain as he felt the impact of the fiery projectiles and upon opening his eyes, he saw plenty of wounds covering his hands and arms. The shadow however crawled along the walls and vanished under the door with sardonic laughter.

"One day my real self will find you and torture you until you beg for death out of despair and fear. This was only the beginning..."

The evil vanished from the hall. Maron's body lay helpless on the floor, like a shred of cloth carelessly thrown away.

Only now the thought occurred to Link, that this Something must have been responsible for all the maladies that befallen him. Exhausted he let himself sink to the floor for a moment.

Link escaped the building with the unconscious Maron on his arms and saw the crowd standing around, gawping at the burning hall. Police cars and fire trucks had already arrived, but more were coming, judging by the sound of sirens. Link detected Zelda. She was talking to Rick, agitated and crying.

She noticed Link, pale as a corpse and she didn't hesitate a second to run towards him. She wanted to fling her arms around his neck.

But Link was unable to feel anything right now. He turned her down, didn't say a word, not even when she stared aghast at his bleeding hands.

A few firemen ran into the building while others were already extinguishing the flames.

Link was utterly spent. He was so sick of pointless, painful experiences. Enough already!

Maron just wouldn't wake up and was brought to the hospital. Rick accompanied her, but didn't say a word to either Link or anybody.

The interrogation at the police station was fruitless, since Link was unable not addressable at the moment. Neither did the inquisitive reporters get any information from the young man.

With deadpan faces Link and Zelda exited the headquarters. Link's whole being was in turmoil, in devious confusion. He had never been in such emotional disarray, not when hearing the voice for the first time, not after his encounter with the strange guy in the dark alley, not even when something had inflicted these strange wounds on his body.

"Link. Come. Let's go home." Zelda dragged him behind her. He didn't say a word the whole time, not even when they finally entered Link's house. He was just out of his senses.

When Zelda stepped into the living room with a first-aid kit he only stared into her sky-blue eyes. Zelda couldn't properly classify the look in his eyes. Link was not showing any sign of hurting, not even his skinned hands. Even when she knelt down before him to treat his hands, he didn't react in any way. His condition seemed to be like some sort of trance or waking sleep.

"Link, please say something." But he just looked at her, almost as if he was neither really here nor away.

"Link..." she didn't know what to do. What had happened in there? Link looked as if he had gazed at death himself.

"Link!" her voice got louder and more powerful than usual. But didn't seem to hear her. Zelda was so distraught that she had no other solution... She stood up, tensed up her whole body and dealt a mighty slap on Link's face. Link was jerked to the side, flinched and then rubbed his cheek where you could clearly see a red imprint of Zelda's hand.

Link closed his eyes and finally managed to speak again. "Zelda... I'm so sorry."

"What?"

"I have brought great misery upon you."

"You... you've saved my life. I thank you!"

"It will go on..."

"Link, I don't understand..."

"Something is lurking out there, waiting to finish us, destroy our lives. He will find us..."

"Who?"

"I don't know." Zelda looked at Link's eyes. They seemed to have returned to normal. Yes, slowly the courage and strength that lay dormant in them returned. She sat down at his side and he told her everything that had happened.

"We must be very careful from now on." Link said, still rubbing his cheek. "You pack quite a punch, you know that?"

Instead of laughing she smiled inquisitively and leaned closer to him until her forehead touched his. Remaining like this, she looked him deep in the eye.

"Say, did my savior not perhaps keep something from me?" Link found that he couldn't make excuses now. There were many things he he hadn't told her. Some he kept secret to protect her, some he just hadn't told anyone ever.

"Yes I did." With Zelda's eyes so close, there was no point in trying to hide anything.

"Rick told me, you..."

"Rick?"

"...you dreamed about me, long before we even met."

Link turned away, stood up and walked to the window. "Well... It was two or three years ago. Our class had a field trip. I had to share a room with Rick. Back then, he had told me about a game I just had to play because... the hero of the story had the same name as me. I looked at the illustrations and was in denial that this game-character looked so much like... me. I also saw the pictures of the princess and I was under the impression that I had seen here before. But I refused to believe that and ignored it. The same night Rick apparently woke up because I talked in my sleep. He spoke to me about it the following day. I told him everything. I told him that almost every night I crawled through some dungeons or temples with a sword in my hand, searching for something important. I told him what monsters I had killed, what demons had blocked my path and that I had... executed them all... cold-blooded and ferocious... with these hands."

Link walked around in the room nervously. He squinted his eyes, cursing to himself. Why had he told her, even though he had once sworn to himself, never to tell anybody any of this.

Zelda just observed him. She didn't know what to say, how to tell him what he was awakening in her. It seemed indescribable. The way she felt drawn to him. The way he looked at her... these deep blue eyes. Did she really not know him from her... real life?

"I told him that I thought a voice was calling for me, and that I was afraid to go mad. But this voice didn't vanish because I had confided in him. A girl's voice, first only in dream. After a while, also in reality. And then you showed up, and... I found..." He looked back into her eyes, saw doubt and fear in them. "I found the voice that called me, in yours."

Silence. What could be said, now that words could hurt. Zelda sank back into the couch, buried her face in her hands. She looked back at him, met his gaze and saw even more insecurity in it, than she felt herself. Link slowly walked towards her, his steps so unsure, as if he wanted to turn and run away any second. He knelt down in front of her and mumbled, while he tried to hold her gaze, requesting honesty and trust.

"I didn't... want to hurt you by telling you this, Zelda." he started.

"You didn't hurt me, just... unsettled me."

"Sometimes... I felt as if I was the monster that..." She placed her right index-finger on his lips. He looked at her, surprised at first, then dreamily.

"You are not a monster... you are..." she couldn't possibly know, what the consequences would be, if she told him what he was for her. A wonderful and caring friend. The best friend you could possibly have. And still... something in her forbade more. Why should she hide it from him?

Mumbling she revealed: "You are the most kind and selfless being I have ever met, that I know of... Link."

She smiled shyly, stood up, and felt like a complete idiot. A little shocked about her dangerously talkative mouth she pressed her hand against it.

The way she had said his name, convinced him even more, despite himself. It had been her voice. How was this possible. Her voice had called out for him... her voice...

Link didn't grasp what was about to happen. Zelda, if this really was her name, trusted him completely, as he trusted her. How could this be? His brain told him, that there was no way they knew each other.

This whole surge of emotions, the thoughts he had, whenever he was with her... nothing like this had ever happened in anybody else's presence. Deep within him slumbered this silent, but strong desire to hold her, so she could never vanish again. But why? How could she cloud his senses in such a magnitude. His deep-blue eyes were captivated by her, and he always tried to keep her in his view.

She understood him. And as if it was the very first time he had been understood by someone, he wished to thank her. For listening, for being able to calm him and for looking deeply into his young but troubled heart. He wanted to thank her with more than just words.

After a few calming breaths, taking courage, he walked towards her and gently placed his hands on her shoulders. Only after rallying all his confidence, Link managed: "Thank you. You have no idea how much you have helped and relieved me. Thank you, Zelda..."

She turned around and smiled bashfully.

Link reciprocated the smile, trying to conceal his increasing nervousness, to suppress his tension and his racing pulse. She rendered him fidgety, incompetent, turned him into a brainless idiot and made him do things he had thought impossible.

How the heck did she do it? How did she unhinge his whole existence like that?

After a while, Zelda whispered: "You are hiding something else, aren't you... something that only concerns you."

"Yes. Do you know?"

"Mhm... I felt it." Link was amazed. She knew him and even seemed to be aware of his deepest secrets.

Link was adopted. His parents had died in a fire in their own house when he was but a baby. It was thought to be a case of arson and Link had made the foolish oath to find the culprit. And Zelda had somehow found out. Wasn't it possible she could read his thoughts, or reach a part of his soul that even he himself didn't know of?

"Say... this woman we met at the lake, do you think she would know something about this... dark energy?"

"You mean Naranda Comandante?"

"Yes, exactly. She has made quite a few weird remarks, when you saved this child."

"That's right. I suggest we pay her a visit tomorrow morning."

Link grinned and Zelda, overjoyed that he was feeling better, beamed at him. "Okay, we shall go to see her."

"And today? What should we do now? It is already 5 o'clock, but the evening is still long."

"If I'm brutally honest..." she said snuggling down on the sofa, "...I'd much rather just loaf around." She propped up her legs on one end of the couch, and her head came to rest on the other armrest. After such a day, lounging seemed like the best medicine.

"Sounds perfect. I will join you." he replied and sat down on the remaining free space of the couch. Link too put his feet up, enjoyed the serenity of the moment as well as Zelda's presence. She had her eyes closed. Did she hope to fall asleep now? How boring, Link thought.

Even after such a dreadful day, he would not let his recovered good mood go to waste. The terrifying events of earlier slowly sank into the softening realm of memories.

Link had an idea... Zelda's tender feet were in immediate range. He slowly shifted a little closer towards her and let his fingertips glide playfully over the sensitive parts of her feet. Zelda gave a shriek, then laughed.

"You wouldn't be ticklish, now would you, Zelda?" he hummed. She didn't answer at once, but had to continue giggling. She knew, she had no chance of escaping from such a wicked devilry. Nor did she really want to...

She pulled her feet away from him and sat up. But Link was far from done with his tickle-treatment. Grinning, he moved closer and got her under her arms.

Zelda felt another surge of laughter and now engaged in counter-attacks. Now it was her turn to tease him.

Slyly she pinched in his right side, gleefully noticed a silent swear from his mouth, which immediately turned back to cheery giggling. By now they lay next to each other on the couch, teasing each other, laughing and enjoying the closeness of each other.

After a few minutes, which even though they seemed to last an eternity, were still much too short, Link slowly stopped bringing giggling Zelda into even more hopeless situations and slowed down with his nasty tricks.

Slightly bent over her, he looked into each of her crystal blue eyes and asked: "You you give up?"

She shook her head and smiled more magnificently than ever before.

Link cheekily poked her nose and let his left hand caress her cheek, all the way down to her right arm. Then he held it fast.

"And now?" she turned her head slowly from right to left two times, her smirk widening. At that provocation, Link also seized her other arm.

"But now you've got to give up, Zelda" he said grinning. She could hardly move now, but again she only laughed.

She started to fidget and squealed as Link restarted tickling under her arms. She struggled until they both slipped from the couch and crash-landed on the floor.

"I give up." she breathed with her gorgeously cute voice and shaken by laughing fits she turned to face Link who lay face down on the rug.

"Link?" she righted herself and aimed at more teasing. She pinched and poked his entire upper body in a quick flurry of hands.

Yelping, he bolted upright and pinned Zelda gently against the couch. Sitting right in front of her, he gazed upon her immaculate face, rousing his emotions just through one look at her expressive eyes, her smile which seemed to tell him so much.

A pleasant feeling flowed through him, something he had no prior experience with. Without any retarding prudence he took her in his strong arms and pulled her towards him. Perplexed, Zelda's eyes widened. A little helpless, she didn't move any more, just let herself indulge in his embrace. What happened now? Why did it happen?

So intimate... so enjoyable... almost reminiscent...

Link broke away from her and stood up abruptly. A soft-spoken "Excuse me" from his mouth didn't change the situation however, didn't revoke what he had just shown.

Again he murmured "Excuse me..." and quickly left the living room without looking back.


End file.
